US Economy thread

[Goose]

reinko

Part of my issue with the overall economy matches what you have seen in your career. There was a ton of free money thrown a lot of companies that probably were not responsible guardians of that money. There was a ton VC thrown around to anyone that a growth plan and I think it was reckless investing. I do not think we have seen the last of the reckless investing and bank involvement with these investments.

That said, I hope you are in a good place and hopefully took advantage of being in a hot sector. Since you are in this sector, do you think it wise VC investments or not?

[SoCalEagle]

2. uhhhh he's clearly lost a step.

Uhhhh, you said he's senile.  Sounds like you're walking that back. 

[rocket surgeon]

Possibly, but until interest rates decrease substantially, there will be continued consumer angst.

Brother MUFan, I'm surprised there are any nuclear plants even close to under construction. But your point is exactly my concern -- late and way over budget. I'm not sure who or what is backing either the Georgia or Connecticut projects, but would you invest either in a nuclear power plant or a company that wants to construct a nuclear power plant.

Oh, and after 65 years of nuclear power plants, we still haven't figured out an agreed-on, safe way to dispose of radioactive waste. Over the years, our country has spoken of a waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, but nothing has been finalized. That's the challenge with nuclear, and any waste leakage is far more damaging than anything a hydrocarbon fueled plant could ever do! Just ask the folks in Northern Ukraine or Southeast Belarus. Or around Fukashima!

  yo brother dog, i fully understand the angst surrounding nuclear energy.  yes, there have been accidents and mishaps.  but the amounts of pure clean energy developed utilizing little extra-curricular energy far out weighs the potential harm.  i define extra-curricular energy as that needed to produce the energy itself.  how much energy is used to manufacture wind and solar before it is actually able to be put to use.  then, how much energy is produced relative to the amount needed to manufacture said energy production devices?  my assumption is nuclear beats all the others hands down.  short of the mining process needed to gather uranium and the building of the reactor, that's it.  nuclear reactors are the gifts that can continue to give.  imagine filling up your gas tank with 10 gallons of gas and driving just far enough to burn 1/2 gallon, then throwing out the remaining 9 1/2 gallons.  that's what occurs with nuclear today short of recycling or using fast reactors

  all that said, we are starting to use more technology to recycle nuclear waste.  as a matter of fact, spent nuclear fuel still has 95% activity remaining.  utilizing fast reactors, you can transmute waste nuclides from 10,000 year half-lives to 200 year half-lives thus reducing the toxicity and wring out more energy at the same time.  the actual waste can also be detoxified further via other methods we shall leave to the chemists. 

the technology is here and can be put to use if we really want to...follow the money however

disclaimer-i've been somewhat heavy on my investments into uranium and uranium associated companies for the past 15 years.  cameco, BHP, dennison and UR-energy to be specific. 

[Hards Alumni]

Uhhhh, you said he's senile.  Sounds like you're walking that back.

Uhhhh, I didn't say that.  I said exactly what I said.  That he has clearly lost a step.

If you can't admit that then you have not been paying enough attention.

[reinko]

reinko

Part of my issue with the overall economy matches what you have seen in your career. There was a ton of free money thrown a lot of companies that probably were not responsible guardians of that money. There was a ton VC thrown around to anyone that a growth plan and I think it was reckless investing. I do not think we have seen the last of the reckless investing and bank involvement with these investments.

That said, I hope you are in a good place and hopefully took advantage of being in a hot sector. Since you are in this sector, do you think it wise VC investments or not?

Appreciate the follow up here, doing okay, switched sectors (ed tech -> B2B solutions around corporate philanthropy, employee giving/engagement), and in a more solid place now (ed tech was BOOMING when COVID money was being passed around from the federal govt, and state govts), now K-12 and colleges are tightening belts, so dont envy my colleagues but I got out when I saw my pipeline weirdly not growing after a couple quarters, but was still cashing pretty good checks.

Just coming from your run of mill sales rep point of view, VC's (as they should) are trying to drive the value of their portfolios up to sell them to another, bigger fund.  For years it was all about YOY growth (specifically new ARR and logos) and EBITDA was pretty far down on the list...WELL, at least in my view now, a path to profitability is not just a just a nice to have, needs to be near the top.  So investments in retaining and growing in customers is hot now (since bringing aboard a new customer is a lot more time consuming and expensive), offshoring marketing and engineering to India also big to bring down costs to help the bottom line.

I agree, many VC's will still make big bets, but ultimately, it will be up to the BOD/ownership/CEO of companies to take it, and at what terms (this is the kicker here, VC's LOVE to grab undervalued companies at a discount).

[dgies9156]

  yo brother dog, i fully understand the angst surrounding nuclear energy.  yes, there have been accidents and mishaps.  but the amounts of pure clean energy developed utilizing little extra-curricular energy far out weighs the potential harm.  i define extra-curricular energy as that needed to produce the energy itself.  how

Yo, Brother Rocket:

Maybe it's because I remember the hysteria surrounding Three Mile Island (almost no radiation leaks) and because I've seen the physical and emotional damage of Chernobyl first hand in Southeast Belarus, but I'm not sold. To dismiss having Cesium 36 and Strontium 90 in the soil for 10,000 years (their half life) is not something that should be done lightly. We were in Belarus for almost two weeks and I lost 20 pounds because I refused to eat most of what was put in front of me. You just didn't know where it came from!

I think my posts show I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I know we're going to need many terawatts of new electricity in the coming years. Economic growth in our country will depend on it. While I'd like to think we can get past the nuclear power risks, I doubt most of our fellow citizens in the United States share your view about nuclear energy.

If Chernobyl and TMI weren't enough, the relatively recent Fukashima meltdown is a stark reminder of the risks of nuclear power and radioactive waste.

[Hards Alumni]

Yo, Brother Rocket:

Maybe it's because I remember the hysteria surrounding Three Mile Island (almost no radiation leaks) and because I've seen the physical and emotional damage of Chernobyl first hand in Southeast Belarus, but I'm not sold. To dismiss having Cesium 36 and Strontium 90 in the soil for 10,000 years (their half life) is not something that should be done lightly. We were in Belarus for almost two weeks and I lost 20 pounds because I refused to eat most of what was put in front of me. You just didn't know where it came from!

I think my posts show I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I know we're going to need many terawatts of new electricity in the coming years. Economic growth in our country will depend on it. While I'd like to think we can get past the nuclear power risks, I doubt most of our fellow citizens in the United States share your view about nuclear energy.

If Chernobyl and TMI weren't enough, the relatively recent Fukashima meltdown is a stark reminder of the risks of nuclear power and radioactive waste.

Wait until you hear how many people coal and oil have killed.



The real problem that Nuclear energy has is it is expensive.  Build, maintain, and produce are incredibly expensive compared to everything else.

Safety isn't the problem... at all.

[Uncle Rico]

Wait until you hear how many people coal and oil have killed.



The real problem that Nuclear energy has is it is expensive.  Build, maintain, and produce are incredibly expensive compared to everything else.

Safety isn't the problem... at all.

I'm Team Coal.  Get those mines up and running

[Pakuni]

I'm Team Coal.  Get those mines up and running

Thanks for your service, Sen. Manchin.

[jesmu84]

Wait until you hear how many people coal and oil have killed.



The real problem that Nuclear energy has is it is expensive.  Build, maintain, and produce are incredibly expensive compared to everything else.

Safety isn't the problem... at all.

If we held companies/sectors legally and financially liable for the death/destruction they cause, fossil fuels would be prohibitively expensive

[Uncle Rico]

If we held companies/sectors legally and financially liable for the death/destruction they cause, fossil fuels would be prohibitively expensive

Fossil fuels don't kill, people with fossil fuels kill

[jficke13]

Yo, Brother Rocket:

Maybe it's because I remember the hysteria surrounding Three Mile Island (almost no radiation leaks) and because I've seen the physical and emotional damage of Chernobyl first hand in Southeast Belarus, but I'm not sold. To dismiss having Cesium 36 and Strontium 90 in the soil for 10,000 years (their half life) is not something that should be done lightly. We were in Belarus for almost two weeks and I lost 20 pounds because I refused to eat most of what was put in front of me. You just didn't know where it came from!

I think my posts show I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I know we're going to need many terawatts of new electricity in the coming years. Economic growth in our country will depend on it. While I'd like to think we can get past the nuclear power risks, I doubt most of our fellow citizens in the United States share your view about nuclear energy.

If Chernobyl and TMI weren't enough, the relatively recent Fukashima meltdown is a stark reminder of the risks of nuclear power and radioactive waste.

1. What was your starting weight?
2. I have... doubts.

[The Sultan]

I have no idea why anyone would voluntarily go to Belarus for two weeks.

[Hards Alumni]

I have no idea why anyone would voluntarily go to Belarus for two weeks.

His adopted child is from the area.

[Not all scoop users are created equal apparently]

I think my posts show I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I know we're going to need many terawatts of new electricity in the coming years. Economic growth in our country will depend on it. While I'd like to think we can get past the nuclear power risks, I doubt most of our fellow citizens in the United States share your view about nuclear energy.

Itshappening.gif

https://apnews.com/article/wind-energy-turbines-sunzia-transmission-93badc18769e50b28393e84dbf8ebf32

[dgies9156]

His adopted child is from the area.

Thank you Brother Hards.

You are absolutely correct. My daughter is from Municipal Orphanage Number 3, Gomel, Belarus.

[The Sultan]

Thank you Brother Hards.

You are absolutely correct. My daughter is from Municipal Orphanage Number 3, Gomel, Belarus.

Oh I completely forgot about that. Then you had a damn good reason to be in Belarus for two weeks! My apologies.

[dgies9156]

Incidentally, thousands of Jewish folks visit Belarus each year.

During the pogroms under the direction of the Czar and his minions, millions of Russian Jews were concentrated in Minsk, Gomel and a couple other Belarusian cities. Belarus took an absolutely awful hit during World War II.

The country is a place of remembrance for a large part of the Jewish population.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Yo, Brother Rocket:

Maybe it's because I remember the hysteria surrounding Three Mile Island (almost no radiation leaks) and because I've seen the physical and emotional damage of Chernobyl first hand in Southeast Belarus, but I'm not sold. To dismiss having Cesium 36 and Strontium 90 in the soil for 10,000 years (their half life) is not something that should be done lightly. We were in Belarus for almost two weeks and I lost 20 pounds because I refused to eat most of what was put in front of me. You just didn't know where it came from!

I think my posts show I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I know we're going to need many terawatts of new electricity in the coming years. Economic growth in our country will depend on it. While I'd like to think we can get past the nuclear power risks, I doubt most of our fellow citizens in the United States share your view about nuclear energy.

If Chernobyl and TMI weren't enough, the relatively recent Fukashima meltdown is a stark reminder of the risks of nuclear power and radioactive waste.

My wife was in high school in Poland when Chernobyl happened.  She's 35 minutes from the Belarus border.  Like a Hollywood movie, guys in communist army uniform barged into her classroom and demanded each student take these pills now (iodine).  And we given more to take over a period of time.  Gardens are a big deal to Polish people and no one was allowed to eat anything from their gardens that summer.

[SoCalEagle]

Uhhhh, I didn't say that.  I said exactly what I said.  That he has clearly lost a step.

If you can't admit that then you have not been paying enough attention.

Uhhhh, that's what you said.  We agree that he has lost a step.  He's getting older, not doubt.  But, you did say senile and it seems to me that you are retracting that statement.  Good for you. 

[Hards Alumni]

Uhhhh, that's what you said.  We agree that he has lost a step.  He's getting older, not doubt.  But, you did say senile and it seems to me that you are retracting that statement.  Good for you.

Uhhhhhhhhh nope.  Check your facts.  I said no such thing. 

I welcome your apology when you do.

[Jockey]

Uhhhhhhhhh nope.  Check your facts.  I said no such thing. 

I welcome your apology when you do.

So you think he is senile?

[Hards Alumni]

So you think he is senile?

Nope.  Do you think he's sharp as a tack?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

The economy is roaring. So why do we keep hearing about layoffs?
https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-layoffs-why-keep-hearing-about-tech-media-job-cuts-2024-1

"Employees at the Los Angeles Times, eBay, Microsoft, and UPS are some of the workers impacted by recent layoff announcements in January.

However, despite recent layoff news about media, tech, and other prominent industries, the layoffs and discharges rate for the country has persistently stayed low, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nick Bunker, the economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, noted in recent commentary that recent layoff news doesn't indicate what the rest of the workforce is experiencing, similar to the spate of tech layoffs in early 2023.

"Both waves of tech layoffs appear to be mostly about rebalancing workforces to adjust to the current economic outlook after a burst of hiring in 2021," Bunker said. "That phenomenon is not happening in the broader labor market."

[jesmu84]

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/25/1225957874/housing-unaffordable-for-record-half-all-u-s-renters-study-finds#:~:text=Live%20Sessions-,Housing%20is%20unaffordable%20for%20a%20record%20half%20of%20all%20U.S.,construction%20is%20mostly%20high%2Dend

It finds that in 2022, as rents spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, a record half of U.S. renters paid more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. Nearly half of those people were severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50% of their income.

"We actually saw increases across every single income category that we look at, which sort of surprised us," says Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, a senior research associate with the center and the report's lead author.

Since 2019, the biggest jump in unaffordability was for households making $30,000 to $74,999 a year. Even among those working full time, a third of all renters were still cost-burdened.

As the Harvard report notes, U.S. homelessness rates hit a record high last year.

Since 2001, the Harvard report notes, median rents have risen by 21% while the median annual income for renters has risen just 2%.