Posts by Jacob Wood9

hiddenhawk3 said:I mean, I have no idea who actually qualifies as an intellectual just because they finished some degree 😂 I always figured intellectuals were actual scientists, highly developed academics, and stuff like that 🤷

You don't need a college degree to master Excel; you just need a little bit of effort, I guess. And if economists don't know what they're doing, well, maybe they don't. But then again, does anyone really know anything when they first start out in a profession? 🤷 😁 It’s common knowledge that school is mostly just theory. Then there's actual on-the-job practice. I wonder what would happen if someone did a study on "how much young doctors actually know." Like, what percentage of them could actually provide quality first aid on their own right after graduation? 😉

Practical experience is certainly paramount, though I suppose if someone is fundamentally ignorant, even hands-on training won't save them... because, at the end of the day, you're either interested or you aren't. It isn't as if a person spends four years in a vacuum at university and then suddenly decides to start absorbing the world once they step outside.
It isn't even really an issue with newly minted graduates in the Economy sector; the real problem is that we are becoming too much like typical Americans... because if an economist doesn't feel the need to know the name of the Secretary of State, then the voter certainly should... and we've all been voters since we turned eighteen.

hiddenhawk3 said:If they went to a prep school, they might have some basic general knowledge. If they went to a vocational school, I highly doubt it, unless they put in the work themselves. I mean, since when was it even a college's job to provide a general education? I guess you can't just say it's an issue of the Economy. A college is supposed to give you a systematic overview of a specific field, plain and simple. 😕 I guess you could say high school is just there to give you some vague, general knowledge. You see the difference now, right? 😁 I guess the whole difference between having a high school diploma versus a college degree really just comes down to how deep you go into a subject—all that specialized stuff you don't bother teaching in high school. ☕
So, matter's complexity. I guess.

Fair enough... but I still can't wrap my head around the idea that it’s acceptable for someone who presents themselves as an intellectual to actually be a narrow-minded ignorant. Whether they gained that knowledge at a university or picked it up through self-study shouldn't really matter; similarly, it is entirely within the rights of an employer to care whether a candidate is truly competent or not. It isn't their job to serve as a landing pad for half-baked products... and by the way... most of the questions regarding general culture that we're debating here tend to yield the most accurate answers.😍

It might be a minor detail, but I found myself fascinated once when, during a television segment, I saw a "farewell" letter from some British financier representing about three different banks. It was written in fountain pen, with calligraphy that looked like something out of the Middle Ages... and this was in the age of email and the internet. Meanwhile, we sit here complaining because we don't know how to use Excel, simply because, well, it wasn't explicitly part of the curriculum... and if it isn't, then apparently it's not enough.🙂

Robin Rodriguez5 said:Well, they tested their actual professional skills too, and those results are even more pathetic.😁

Exactly... I suppose that’s why they’re acting so stunned by the lack of "general knowledge." They probably assumed people at least knew how to watch the news😁 but this? It's just pure nonsense... it's as if these people stepped out of another dimension. It reminds me of those stories about lost soldiers in the woods who somehow missed the entire end of World War II

hiddenhawk3 said:Regarding the Times Square thing, I’d probably fail too. I wouldn't miss out on a century of knowing about the USA, but maybe one year... 🙂 I think the study is stupid. I still don't get why they're testing general knowledge during an interview for an economist role. 🤷
They could have thrown in sports questions, too—I'm clueless there, and hey, that's also general knowledge.
It would be interesting to run this same study on other majors (like how much med students, biologists, or engineers actually know), especially since everything shifted to the credit system recently. 🙂

But look... if we're being realistic, someone who is highly educated isn't necessarily required to have that certain "breadth" of knowledge—which, honestly, is the entire point of a university degree. If that's the case, what's actually the difference between a high school grad and a college grad?...

If we are being completely honest, you could probably qualify someone for a role in auditing through five or six specific exams in a single semester without them needing to know anything else; you'd end up with a qualified accountant or a qualified auditor... so why bother with universities? We could just design specialized courses. Why would anyone need to pass 30 or 40 exams just for some mediocre job? Seriously, man, just learn what you need to know and spend the rest of your time catching up on Big Brother or lounging by a pool in Malibu.

Who is the Secretary of State: Ante Gotovac... who cares... I'm just a qualified auditor... if I wanted to be a qualified politician, I would have just signed up for that specific course.

Jeffrey Johnson2 said:@Susan James42

I’m with you on that point, but seriously—where do you people even find these Idiots? I’m starting to feel like I’m hanging out with some kind of intellectual elite—which, let’s be real, I am definitely not.

We need to have the conversation about our knowledge-based society on a completely different level. My take? As a nation, we're probably decent on average, but we lack top-tier experts—we just don't have enough of them. Part of the blame lies with the education system, part with society at large... but honestly, parents take the biggest hit here, though what can you do when they're just like that too? Where do you even start to fix this mess?

The media here has zero clue about their social responsibility. They should basically be taxed on all their trash content to fund the entire education system—just to offset some of the damage they do to society. I can't even watch the World Handball Championship because half the anchors over at CBS can barely pronounce basic words—it's pathetic. Instead, they spend all their time talking about the players' wives or attractive fans screaming for the goalie (who, by the way, needs a serious scrubbing first), while Dominiković is busy hawking potato chips on his jersey... not to mention how every single nightly news broadcast is just a bloodbath of "who killed who." It's disgusting. There isn't a single segment with actual informative value to be found. It's all just pure sensation. The only useful info you get all night is the weather forecast.

In my view, we are actually poorly educated on a broad scale, given that there are hundreds of thousands of people who haven't even finished middle school, and for a significant portion of those with college degrees—as this "unfortunate" study seems to suggest—one might feel the exact same way.

Furthermore, I don't quite agree with the notion that parents are to blame for the shortage of elite specialists. Most high-level experts tend to acquire that drive and passion for excellence during their university years, primarily because they find genuine role models among the scientists they interact with.

Unfortunately, here, certain professors (and there are quite a few) are nothing more than grumpy bureaucrats who use their positions not to advance science, but to line their own pockets—whether it's through small bribes, extra fees, royalties, or similar little side hustles. Their textbooks are often just mere compilations or translations, and then they go a step further by demanding that students purchase these books as a prerequisite just to get a signature or to sit for an exam.

John Allen5 said:Go ahead, type Vlasta Sakar into Google... what comes up? Absolutely nothing.
What is she even known for?

Her name is... as far as I recall, Vlatka... so I suppose journalists could probably conduct a similar little investigation if they felt inclined.

As for her personally... I don't know her on a first-name basis, but I am aware she worked in international auditing. Apparently, she started her own firm after that, and it seems she’s just looking to share the expertise she's gathered over the years.

This might just go down as a legendary thread

So, some guy sticks his finger in his... well, let's just say he thinks he's caught an STD, and then out of nowhere, this character shows up claiming to have the cure
🙏

Michelle Newman3 said:What’s the deal with physical office space requirements when you set up an LLC? Between the bare minimum technical standards and the fact that commercial rent is absolutely skyrocketing, it feels like a massive hurdle. Think about it: if someone runs a web design agency through their LLC, they’re almost certainly offering hosting too. They probably just have a reseller account with a major provider, get a yearly invoice for the hosting service, and then bill their clients for both the site build and the ongoing hosting fees. Isn't that basically just reselling hosting space? You buy it cheap from a provider and sell it at a markup to the client. If we look at it that way, it’s just classic trading—which means, according to the law, we should technically need a dedicated commercial space that meets all those specific technical requirements and certifications, right?

I suppose if you aren't running a deli selling pastries and yogurt, you might not strictly need a commercial refrigerator to stay compliant.

feralhound55 said:Not necessarily—you just have to become addicted to something first, and then deal with the withdrawal. Honestly, the worst part is when people glorify someone who "heroically" conquered heroin, quit smoking, or stopped killing people. If they hadn't gotten themselves into that mess in the first place, they wouldn't have to quit. 🙄

As for this whole "positive discrimination" thing... there are definitely people who exploit being different. Like one TV host put it—we straight guys don't parade around with our own flags like gay people do.

A good person is a good person, regardless of skin color, nationality, physical ability, or especially religion. Same goes for bad people.

And yeah, I fell right into the positive discrimination trap myself. Mostly, I've just been disappointed by all these "spiritual" types.

I have to say, I agree with you one hundred percent. It’s always the same pattern with these types. The guy spends twenty years absolutely wrecking everything in his path, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction behind him, and then—out of nowhere—he suddenly finds himself at a Chase branch, completely reformed. Suddenly, he’s making little pottery figurines or singing in some local church choir, and everyone starts acting like he’s some kind of saint. It’s almost funny how people immediately start marveling at where he supposedly found the strength to overcome all the evil in the world, as if that chaos wasn't entirely his own doing.
Honestly, it’s kind of ridiculous. There are plenty of other people out there who didn't exactly spend their time searching for some grand, cosmic purpose; they just took a job in construction, bought a house in the suburbs, raised two kids, and made sure the bills were paid on time. They didn't spend their entire lives lost in some heroin-induced haze, so I suppose it’s no wonder nobody is throwing them a parade or treating them like heroes.

Nicholas Sanchez3 said:But wouldn't they be legally forced to launch a public tender then? Like, the second they pick up even one single extra share? 😕
Didn't Magma have to play by those same rules?

I suspect they do, though I worry about how much this stalling might mess with the shareholders... not to mention whatever chaos that might cause for the market during the wait.

What actually keeps me up at night is the possibility that, once this ExxonMobil offer is on the table, absolutely nothing unexpected happens at all....
It’s possible that ExxonMobil just reaches an agreement with the Government and calls it a day. Maybe the offer doesn't quite land perfectly, leaving those few percentage points hanging in the balance. If that occurs, I suspect they might just wait for things to settle down and then swoop in to pick up those remaining shares in about a year or so, once the public outcry finally dies down.

Melissa Mendoza75 said:Chevron says they’re interested in Chevron, but only if the privatization process stays totally transparent
It looks like Chevron is still eyeing Chevron, provided they actually get an invite to join the privatization talks. That’s what Thomas Huemer, a spokesperson for Chevron, apparently told a PR agency covering their interests in America. I guess they'll see if an offer actually comes their way.

I think you might have overlooked a rather crucial detail here:

According to the statement from APA, the Austrian company isn't actually interested in picking up shares held by retail investors.

Emily Morris said:Can someone without a high school diploma start their own small business or set up an LLC?

Well, you can certainly set up an LLC since you’re essentially just the owner... though I suppose things might get a bit more complicated if you're looking at a sole proprietorship, mainly because you generally need to be properly qualified for the specific work you're doing, given that you're operating as an individual here...

So, where did you end up finishing your degree... in Nazi Germany?

pathological indecisiveness

Kevin James5 said:How much cash does one actually need to get into the donut business?

$15 A notary public $10 minimum commission and $0.83 shares in some tech startup or maybe just getting into the business itself

Kevin Brooks11 said:You know that game where you just keep tapping someone's finger with yours, then they tap back, and it just goes on indefinitely until one person finally gives up? I suppose I’m wondering what the actual consequences might be, aside from a swollen finger, if someone were to play that for an extended period of time.

Your dick will shrink.😢

You should probably just shoot a message over to Dr. Smith; I suspect he’s likely to have some insight into this particular situation.

Nicholas Sanchez3 said:Duh, obviously they aren't, especially since everything was basically engineered to tank from the jump.
The more you look at it, the clearer it gets—this wasn't an accident; it was a blueprint. Now the real question is how much more they can squeeze out of us before they get bored, because let's face it: they hold all the cards. We're just along for the ride.

they hold all the cards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Th1jGVGerk

I suppose we should just be grateful that these funds are behaving the way they are.
Following the momentum from companies like Ine and HT, there was this massive investment stampede that drove prices up to somewhat unrealistic levels. This essentially pushed the entire market into a precarious spot; if the funds had continued to fuel that fire, we would have seen even more euphoria, leading far more people to dive headfirst into the stock market, which inevitably results in much more heartbreak than what we're seeing now.

If you take a moment to look at the trajectory of the Nasdaq from '97 until today, it becomes clear that the market didn't just spontaneously appear six months or a year ago—that's when most people jumped into stocks that had already seen 10x gains, all in the naive hope that they’d keep climbing at that same rate.
Do fundamentals play no role here? Of course they do, and they are precisely why we saw such significant growth, but the problem is that most investors only showed up once those fundamentals had already reached their peak.

Now, some investors seem to think they can practically blackmail the funds—buying up shares only to dump them back onto the funds at inflated prices, forcing them to use their own capital to buy them back again. It sounds like a perfect financial perpetual motion machine where everyone wins, provided we had someone like Marshall sucking up enough cash from the USA to patch things up every now and then.

Chris Chase5 said:I wasn't exactly expecting to run into this specific topic, but nothing like it popped up.

The only thing I can't wrap my head around is how you all consider it perfectly normal when stocks plummet one moment, only to see the charts looking like they're skyrocketing the next day?

I didn't have any inside scoop on these sudden jumps—honestly, I couldn't even keep up because of work—but seeing prices hitting the stratosphere like this, even on a market that already feels overvalued, was pretty shocking...

We're talking about stocks where the single-day trading volume completely dwarfs what they usually see in a month or even a year, and companies that have somehow surged 100X% in a year without actually inventing anything groundbreaking or having the business fundamentals to back it up...

Does anyone else feel the same way? Like, does anyone else share this sense of confusion and genuine apprehension?

I suppose I share the sentiment, though I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say I'm bewildered or frightened.
It feels like people are trying to pour two gallons of milk into a one-gallon jug on our market, so it’s hardly surprising that things are spilling over everywhere; meanwhile, the big institutional players are just looking to squeeze out a quick five percent, so they can afford to take their sweet time.
There will likely be significant fallout once they lose their dominant grip on the situation, but I imagine we still have plenty of time before that happens.