HamsterHookah

I think you just described our entire monetary and banking system, thought right? It's a confidence game, which is why bank runs (as recently as SVB) happen. Still not sure what your point is, other than just throwing out a platitude to dismiss, as a "oh well, not much we can do about it because we'd have to change the hearts and minds of men." My only point was that just saying, "why are there billionaires in the world when people are hungry!" with an implication that it's just a few turns of the knob or a pull of a lever here or there and we can fix that, is childish. You almost literally HAVE to have billionaires for the type of free-market economy we run in America (and arguably, globally) due to shareholders and how ownership in organizations is fundamentally understood, managed and governed. IMO, it would take a near-on revolution to change that. More likely it would take a full-on, bloody revolution to change that.

I would have loved to have heard via narration what was in the book. I thought his article and the narration thereof was a highlight and a good change of pace for storytelling in S1. Beard's editing was funny, though. Overall, a good last episode to put a bow on a good show and good series. I think it's ending exactly at the time it needed as well. S1- A+ S2- C- S3- B+ Overall: B+

uh huh. and the real rewards are the friends we make along the way?

Very true. But also, there are fundamental problems with how our system is designed (shareholder capitalism) in that, you cannot have a trillion dollar company (of which there are, what, six now with nvidia?) without creating billionaires. It's just not possible with how the system works and how management and ownership of companies in our flavor of free-markets work. You'd literally need to change the foundations of which organizations are started, built, owned and managed, and the easy/shortest path to that is not palatable to most people because it looks like government intervention and socialism. The longer term answer, whatever it is, will win a team of economists the Noble Prize and a household name for centuries to come.

I'm really liking Mikey Day.

That's a loaded weapon of a phrase. Good fodder and prompt for a whole 'nother discussion though on the American (Global?) Economy and Shareholder Capitalism.

I think you are a bit confused. Here is a breakdown for you, because you have the timeline and motives wrong: I posted the NYT quote about Tesla being up YTD $48bn because I read it in an email and thought it was interesting. I specifically thought it was interesting considering his boondoggle and mishandling of Twitter, and commented "wow must be nice to be a billionaire" insinuating you can fail and still succeed because you have such a resource privilege. However, another poster rightly said, "hey wait, YTD is a stupid metric. Here is why..." To which I said, "you know what, you are right! It would actually make more sense to look at how Tesla is doing since he bought Twitter (oct.) versus just YTD, like the headline did." So, because I don't care that much to waste actual real time, I went to AI to find a snapshot of data from a certain period of time (Oct-present). I did so to get an objective and value-neutral look at where he actually stood in response to Tesla and Twitter and how it impacted his net worth. I didn't fact-check it and just posted. Dumb. Bad. Haha. etc. You get confused, as you often do, and post a bunch of weird stuff because you are generally a weird person. Which is cool! I like it, it's your personality. Ultimately I take blame for quoting you instead of brisket in my response because it was the beginning of your confusion. Hope that clears it up. Love, Musk fanboi because I'm neutral to mildly disdainful, according to some

Being kind of an old and out of touch guy, when I was playing baseball and watching it exclusively as my favorite sport, there were two pitching motions: The Wind-Up and the Stretch. Do major league pitchers not pitch from the wind-up anymore? All these posts seem to be from the stretch. I always thought to get the full and optimal benefit of whatever pitch (movement on slider, speed on fastball, etc.) you needed to wind-up and from the stretch you lose a little bit, but these guys are all hitting 100+ from the stretch.

I was talking to Brisket. Re: Google Bard, sure keep "dunking" on me for that. I'll poke fun at myself for that one too. I was too trusting of the LLM's to dig up some research and didn't stress test it or even smell test it before posting. Bad on me and we can laugh and make fun of it, because it is legitimate. What I can't abide is being mischaracterized as a musk fanboi when I don't think he's special or cool and don't particularly like him. That's illegitimate. But again, not directed to you but Brisket, so sorry for quoting my response to you.

It looks like a raggedy neckline with someone looking down to get edged up even though it's a girl with longhair down her back.

I actually don't think that and am curious where you are even inferring that from. Like, what have I said for you to draw that inference because I absolutely have not ever directly said he was a champion of free speech. If you are inferring this because I've stated, if anything, I'm neutral to the guy or mildly disdainful, then I think there is more problems than cognitive dissonance, that you are suffering from. If anything I am a champion of capitalism. I think it's funny he's blown up a portion of his net worth and also it's funny he's blown up Twitter, because I think social media is an evil. This whole escapade-- maybe even Musk's whole storyline starting around Covid-19-- has been a huge farce and joke and very entertaining, in many ways, up to and including the self-inflicted wounds he's incurred with his wealth, relationships, reputation, businesses, etc.

And to think, this is the country that is the fastest growing in population and GDP and global power (playing both sides, the West and cozying up with Russia/China as opportunists).

Maybe you've missed my many posts about how I think Tesla's are lame and wannabe luxe these days. Also I think the brain implant stuff is beyond stupid and hope that fails miserably. Maybe I'm not using the name "Elmo" enough for you very mature and smart scions of business news, so I get confused for being a fanboi.

Okay then. Being neutral equals being a fanboi. Love it. 2023 is amazing. This is awesome world.

You got me-- I actually didn't realize it until this situation, but I have slipped into the "blind trust" camp of these LLMs... It's actually pretty surprising how easy that happened. I guess that's the big risk-- a majority of the population trusting and relying on these things without any critical thought. You got the wrong guy-- I'm not a Musk fanboi or even a mild fan. Neutral at best.

Google Bard actually lol. Yikes, this is why we don't trust generative AI out of hand just yet, eh?

Good point. I guess looking at it from when he bought Twitter ($44bn) (which I think was October of 2022?) and what Tesla has gained or lost since then, is a truer look. As of May 31, 2023, Tesla stock has lost about 30% of its value since October 28, 2022. The stock closed at $799.20 on October 28, 2022, and it closed at $557.55 on May 31, 2023.

Good news, maybe, is that job openings have surged to a 3-month high, indicating that maybe the market might be softening for you as you start looking again here soon.

Must be nice to be a billionaire. Even if Twitter completely tanks and fails and zeroes out and Elon loses all of his $44bn, he will be +$4bn this year thanks to Tesla: Musk's own wealth has risen by more than $48 billion this year, mostly on a surge in shares of Tesla, which he also owns.

I ate a pancake shaped like a hat this morning.

mmmm. I disagree with you.

I did one of these in the Bahamas once as a young man. Not at night though.

I disagree. Tom got the big job. He got the CEO of a $105bn organization. It's like getting an NFL head coaching job. Yea, you might be horrible and suck, but you are pretty much assured another shot (if not 2 or 3 more) just by virtue of having been an NFL coach in the vaunted club. Same with being the CEO of a Fortune 200. By playing and winning the Game of Succession Thrones, he has assured his future as a Business Executive, whether at GoJoStar or elsewhere, until retiring on a board somewhere. And his kid will grow up the son/daughter of a CEO and billionaire heiress, going to the best schools and when they grow up they will all drink their martini's dry, and have $60mm penthouse boxes full of ticky tack that all look the same. And a pink one, and a green one, and a blue one and yellow one... 10 out of 10 come-up for a guy raised middle class from a St. Paul suburb, if you ask me.

It’s one or two guys who are on another whole other planet when watching this show who are annoying everyone.