squalex's recent activity
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Comment on Modem help in ~tech
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Modem help
Hi all - I need some help troubleshooting my internet and really don't feel like dealing w/ customer service reps. I don't consider myself a tech savvy person, so I'm wondering what this community...
Hi all - I need some help troubleshooting my internet and really don't feel like dealing w/ customer service reps. I don't consider myself a tech savvy person, so I'm wondering what this community might know..
I've been having issues with my internet for a while. we have xfinity with a plan that promises up to 1000mbps. I'm lucky if i get up to 250 on a good day. beyond that, we constantly lose connection, or get very slow connectivity. i'm using a Netgear c7000v2 as my modem/wifi router combo paired with a Google Nest Mesh router. My home is roughly 1000 sqft footprint split level. my computer is in a different room, but there's no doors between and about 600 ft from the modem/mesh routers.
i called xfinity to talk about the issue, they said that my modem likely needed to be replaced. the initial modem was also a Netgear c7000v2, but i figured maybe the hardware just burnt out(?) they sent me an xfinity modem, and everything seemed to work great (still not 1000mbps, but definitely better). when I realized they were charging me more than I was willing to pay monthly for a rental fee on the modem, i decided i'd go back out and buy a new modem. i bought a Netgear c7000v2 again, because it should be able to handle those speeds, and to my understanding is a decent enough modem. i also bought a new coaxial cable to double check. but after replacing, my internet is still spotty and constantly goes in and out.
i don't have any device to plug directly into the ethernet cable (because it's 2023...), so i can't pinpoint the issue through that. i haven't had an xfinity tech come out yet, because apparently that takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks to get a visit...
any ideas on what i should do? part of me is convinced that xfinity is throttling my internet because I'm not using their modem and paying them a rental fee, but i don't want to give into conspiratorial thinking...i'm about to file an FTC complaint on them because I'm just fed-up at this point.
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Comment on New book argues stock buybacks are a mode of predatory value extraction leading to income inequity, employment instability, productive fragility in ~finance
squalex Link ParentThanks - did not notice that! I'll have to add it to the listThanks - did not notice that! I'll have to add it to the list
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Comment on New book argues stock buybacks are a mode of predatory value extraction leading to income inequity, employment instability, productive fragility in ~finance
squalex LinkI'm generally against stock buy-backs. But in their defense they can help a company consolidate ownership of their corporation and protect it from hostile takeovers. I agree that spending money on...I'm generally against stock buy-backs. But in their defense they can help a company consolidate ownership of their corporation and protect it from hostile takeovers. I agree that spending money on buybacks instead of innovation is a poor strategy for sustainable growth.
It's important to point out that issuing dividends can also be a form of corporate abuse. There's nothing to stop a board from deciding to issue out dividends even if the company is struggling financially. This presents a moral hazard as it could funnel money to Senior Management (who often hold a lot of shares of the company), even though they've poorly managed the company. Lehman Brothers paid shareholders $631m in the 2 yrs prior to their collapse; Richard Fuld (LB's CEO) made $500m in the 8 yrs prior to their collapse.
I guess I'm trying to make two points here: 1.) We should judge each action individually and consider intentions behind those actions. 2.) We should really consider how the legal form of the Corporation plays into this. You essentially have a bunch of assets managed by people (CEOs and Company Executives) who don't own them, are legally protected by their poor management of them, and yet can still benefit immensely even when they do manage them poorly. Meanwhile, the owners (shareholders) have no direct claims to those assets. The Boards often have a lot of overlap with Senior Management which creates conflicts of interest.
Ultimately, when shit hits the fan - this allows for a situation where everyone can point their fingers and shift blame so no one is culpable and everyone is off the hook. I don't see how the legal form of corporations don't set us up for a situation with significant moral hazard. Maybe I'm off? I don't know...
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex (edited )Link ParentAdmittedly, I got a little carried away with the last few statements of my initial post and it clearly struck some chords. But that's a good thing. I think the response it generated just goes to...Admittedly, I got a little carried away with the last few statements of my initial post and it clearly struck some chords. But that's a good thing. I think the response it generated just goes to show the conflations of all these terms (even if on my own end).
I still confidently stand by those statements. The dilution on the part of the neo-libs that you point out is exactly what I was trying to bring up. And I know enough to point out that they are, in fact, different terms that need to not be discussed interchangeably. @Eji1700 pointed out a lot of where I tripped up.
Appreciate you calling me out
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex (edited )Link ParentNo nitpicking on your end at all. And I really appreciate the details in your response. Yes - I made a rushed statement without thinking it through more clearly. But I also don't regret it because...No nitpicking on your end at all. And I really appreciate the details in your response.
Yes - I made a rushed statement without thinking it through more clearly. But I also don't regret it because it got the conversation going.
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex Link ParentWhat are the rules and set up to this game? The way you describe it, I'd be really interested in learning how to play itwe played a game called "Beer"
What are the rules and set up to this game? The way you describe it, I'd be really interested in learning how to play it
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex Link ParentAll fair points on the Communism vs Stalinism points. Again, I think our conversation here really needs it's own "Political Economy" group or sub-group - there seems to be demand for it based off...All fair points on the Communism vs Stalinism points.
Again, I think our conversation here really needs it's own "Political Economy" group or sub-group - there seems to be demand for it based off some of the ~finance posts lately
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex (edited )Link ParentPoint taken - and you're absolutely right (that's on me). Admittedly, I need to read the book in the link you posted(and I'm genuinely interested in what it has to say). My initial response is to..."they tried it in the 80s and it was too complex" is a poor argument
Point taken - and you're absolutely right (that's on me). Admittedly, I need to read the book in the link you posted(and I'm genuinely interested in what it has to say).
My initial response is to the premise for the book outlined in the link and the general conversation you hear surrounding this topic. That said - I still have serious doubts about the ability of computer modeling to centrally manage an economy. Shout out and credit to @NaraVara who articulated some of my concerns way better than I could have; I agree with a lot of the points they brought up.
It's just a matter of standardizing and collecting the data. Which is a challenge to be sure...but hardly the hardest one
I think this is a vast understatement. I'd argue that this likely the hardest challenge. Aggregating and cleaning data is a bitch. Yes, "Data Scientists" and the like exist, but these job titles can mean a lot of things. Ensuring that disparate data from multiple sources are translated so that they can be congruently collated often comes with a lot of errors. I wonder what level of error discovered in an audit would be acceptable for the centrally planned economy.
Socialism has largely been seen as an intermediary phase before Communism
This is my point - I think the fact that it has been largely seen this way is the issue. In my view, this line of reasoning plays into the "Road to Serfdom" logic that underpins neo-liberalism. I feel that engaging in this logic only supports neo-liberalism, the paradigm that I feel is the real problem here.
As an aside, FWIW I really feel that Tildes really needs an ~economics main group. I think this conversation isn't exactly ~finance material. ~economics.finance & a separate ~economics.politcal_economy (or ~economics.philosophy) make more sense to me as a taxonomy. Just my two cents
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Comment on Towards a New Socialism in ~finance
squalex (edited )LinkPersonally, I feel that central planning of the economy is absolutely asinine. To make the argument that it would be easier to do because computers have advanced is reductive. Computer models are...- Exemplary
Personally, I feel that central planning of the economy is absolutely asinine. To make the argument that it would be easier to do because computers have advanced is reductive. Computer models are designed by humans, and require assumptions that humans make and aren't always valid. We won't know the impact such models could have either. Milton Friedman (THE champion of neo-liberalism) once promoted using computer models to control the money supply. In fact the FED tried for a bit in the early 80s, but realized it was too complex to be modelled. This is why they target interest rates to influence the supply.
With that said, let's state the obvious: the State and Capitalism are codepedent in a symbiotic relationship. Productivity of the markets give States power, but the markets can't produce without State support and protection (the entire concept of property doesn't exist without the State there to define it). Regardless of how you swing it, the State is involved with the economy. OP hints at this with the enclosure movement and The Commons from 1500s England - landlords would not have been able to enclose land and claim it as their "property" without the courts and State to support such a move. The same is now done with intellectual property, creative endeavors, computer code, financial products, and other intangibles. And yes - we need to establish clear limits about what Capitalism can appropriate as property to turn into an asset and expropriate value. It keeps getting more out of control.
I say all this as someone who self identifies as a progressive and definitely not as a neo-liberal. We need strong State support, management, and protection in the economy - but this doesn't imply Central Economic Planning as the answer. The Welfare State is 100% important and required to protect lower income classes and promote socioeconomic mobility.
But the Welfare State should not be confused for Socialism - because it isn't. And while we're at it: Socialism should not be confused with Communism, or Marxism. These are all separate and distinct terms we're talking about (and the difference between them is not some degree of gradient on a scale). The Soviet Union was Communist, not Socialist.
I hate that false equivalencies are made with all these terms. All sides on the political spectrum seem to make this mistake, and quite honestly it's infuriating.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
squalex LinkRecently I've been getting into building guitar pedals and amplifiers. A few years ago, I built a 5W Fender Tweed amp. A few months ago, I built a klon overdrive pedal. I'm building a Tremolo...Recently I've been getting into building guitar pedals and amplifiers. A few years ago, I built a 5W Fender Tweed amp. A few months ago, I built a klon overdrive pedal. I'm building a Tremolo pedal next.
You can buy the kits online that come with all the parts and instructions. When you get it, its basically just Legos but with a soldering iron. I'd like to get to the point where I can start designing my own, but that requires knowledge at a level of essentially being an electrical engineer (which I'm absolutely not anywhere near).
It's still fun nonetheless. Especially when you paint the box for the pedal. It's a really satisfying feeling when you turn it on and it works AND you don't electrocute yourself....
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Comment on What are your favorite ways to cook eggplant or dishes containing eggplant? in ~food
squalex Link ParentI forget off the top of my head. My Dad taught me how to make it. I do know that's an old dish from Ancient Rome.I forget off the top of my head. My Dad taught me how to make it. I do know that's an old dish from Ancient Rome.
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Comment on Analysis - Financial Times article - Lex in depth: how investors are underpricing climate risks in ~finance
squalex (edited )LinkOf course investors are underpricing climate risks in the long run. But based off the way the game is played, they're absolutely pricing in the risks - and that's the problem. Yes - we're starting...- Exemplary
Of course investors are underpricing climate risks in the long run. But based off the way the game is played, they're absolutely pricing in the risks - and that's the problem.
Yes - we're starting to see impacts in the markets as far as physical risks are concerned (i.e. All State / State Farm pulling back on underwriting new insurance policies in CA, FL). And there's even evidence that banks price in flood risks based off FEMA maps.
The issue is that banks generally don't think beyond a 5 yr time horizon. No single 5 yr time period will experience rapid enough climate change where banks can't manage the risk. Sure, over time smaller banks and investors will fail - they're not as diverse and are far more concentrated than larger banks. Larger banks, meanwhile, can weather the storm (no pun intended). Banks, investors, and profits don't care about the long run. This, of course, is Mark Carney's tragedy of the horizons.
We're in the boiling frog analogy, except we won't jump out because we'll just indefinitely try to adapt.
The big danger is of a “climate Minsky moment”, the term for a sudden correction in asset values as investors simultaneously realise those values are unsustainable.
Personally, I don't see a Minsky moment occurring with climate. The system will consolidate to the biggest players in the game and inequality will just get worse. Ultimately, if the financial sector is going to get serious about contributing to the fight to curtail anthropogenic climate change, than we can't keep trying to apply solutions built on premises of the status quo. The rules of the game need to change.
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Comment on Bank of England outage hits key payments systems processing billions in ~finance
squalex Link@BitsMcBytes, can you post some key points from the article? I can't get through the paywall. This seems like a pretty big deal. I wonder how many banks and businesses were impacted by this.@BitsMcBytes, can you post some key points from the article? I can't get through the paywall.
This seems like a pretty big deal. I wonder how many banks and businesses were impacted by this.
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Comment on What are your favorite ways to cook eggplant or dishes containing eggplant? in ~food
squalex Link1.) Slice up eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash as if you're making a bunch of half-dollar coins. 2.) Grill them until charred, but not burnt 3.) Layer them all in a baking dish. Between each...1.) Slice up eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash as if you're making a bunch of half-dollar coins.
2.) Grill them until charred, but not burnt
3.) Layer them all in a baking dish. Between each layer, add minced garlic, salt, parsley, and soak in olive oil/balsamic vinegar. Like - a lot of oil/vinegar (don't be cheap)
4.) Cover the dish and let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hrs.
5.) Serve and eat cold. It's incredible
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Comment on What a green monetary policy could look like in ~finance
squalex Link ParentSince you mentioned Direct Air Carbon Capture and Texas in the same sentence, I figured I'd use it as an opportunity to mention Occidental Petroleum. They're doing some interesting things with DAC...Since you mentioned Direct Air Carbon Capture and Texas in the same sentence, I figured I'd use it as an opportunity to mention Occidental Petroleum. They're doing some interesting things with DAC in Texas.
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Comment on What a green monetary policy could look like in ~finance
squalex (edited )Link ParentThanks for the perspective - I'll have to read the sources you posted. In the meantime, I think it's interesting that you discuss Bitcoin and then greenwashing concerns immediately after that....Thanks for the perspective - I'll have to read the sources you posted.
In the meantime, I think it's interesting that you discuss Bitcoin and then greenwashing concerns immediately after that. Personally, I think blockchain technologies could play a pretty important role in this fight. One reason that greenwashing is possible, is because we don't actually know how many Scope 3 emissions are tied to products/services. In order to fully know the Scope 3 emissions, we'd need to connect the supply chain.
Of course, connecting the entire supply chain end-to-end is a challenge, but blockchain tech can help. Walmart has an initiative where they're attempting this with the help of VeChain (although not for the purposes of tracking emissions). Businesses can also estimate Scope 3 through various accounting techniques like PCAF
There's a lot of challenges out there in preventing greenwashing. At the end of the day, we need some standardization with carbon accounting. What counts as offsets? What doesn't? There's bound to be unintended consequences with any decision about anything, but we can't let that slow us down. We can't let perfection be the enemy of progress. There'll be some bumps in the road, but we'll figure it out.
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Comment on What a green monetary policy could look like in ~finance
squalex (edited )LinkThis is the link to where you can download the paper that goes into more depth than the article. Abstract below: I wanted to generate some discussion around this and gauge other peoples thoughts...This is the link to where you can download the paper that goes into more depth than the article. Abstract below:
Central banks can potentially influence the investment decisions of private financial institutions, which in turn will create incentives towards green technology adoption and development of lower emission business models. This paper examines how monetary policies can be deployed to promote a greening of finance. To guide the efforts, the paper mobilizes the Money View literature. This enables a comparative assessment of different monetary policy options. The main finding is that a promising way forward for green monetary policy is to adopt a strategy of expanding collateral eligibility through positive screening and widening haircut spreads to change relative incentives in favor of green over brown assets.
I wanted to generate some discussion around this and gauge other peoples thoughts out there. This can be a touchy point in discussions about what monetary policy should and shouldn't do. To state my position clearly: I believe that central banks can and should direct financial flows away from assets that are tied to high emissions.
Beyond the significant challenges it will take to do this, opponents to this position will generally state a few things. First, directing financial flows is the role of fiscal policy and not monetary policy. I agree that this 100% a fiscal policy issue. But when the US Congress cannot seem to agree on much, we should throw everything we've got to curtail anthropogenic climate change. This is a race against the clock, and the IRA and the current administration do not go far enough.
Second, opponents of this stance may claim that monetary policy is not in the business of saying where money should and shouldn't go; only that the money flows should remain free and unobstructed. My response to this is that I absolutely agree with this stance on monetary policy, but in practice central banks make exceptions when there are threats to financial stability. For example, the US Federal Reserve has taken action to impose barriers on crypto related assets. It has similarly weighed in on over-the-counter derivatives in a way that deters activity with those assets. Which leads to the next point.
Third, opponents to this stance will claim that assets tied to high emissions do not pose a threat to financial stability. I agree that in the short term horizon (which most financial institutions operate under), it may not pose a threat to financial stability. In the long run, I'll even admit that anthropogenic climate change may not lead to financial instability as we understand it. But over the long run, it will lead to consolidation in the market and lead to more inequality as smaller financial institutions face greater risk. (See Heartland Tri-State Bank). Additionally, we know that inequality and instability in the food-price index also leads to societal instability (See Syrian Civil War). There's only so much inequality a system can take before it breaks.
It is not far fetched to say that when financial institutions invest in assets tied to high emissions, it leads to instability and acts against their own interests. With this knowledge, central banks can and should direct financial flows away from assets that are tied to high emissions.
Thoughts?
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What a green monetary policy could look like
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Comment on Black women with guitars? in ~music
squalex LinkI'll leave this here. This Elizabeth Cotton tune is great and a standard.I'll leave this here. This Elizabeth Cotton tune is great and a standard.
all of my devices are USB C. appreciate the help, though