whatstheofficerproblem

From the messages section of the recent VIC short rated write-up on BRK, titled Todd 'The Charlatan' Combs.

Since Trump favors cuts and spending, which is bad for the deficit because without additional taxes there will be issuance of more bonds, the bonds are selling off. Fairfax's bond portfolio duration was 3.5 years, the yields are up. How will this effect the mark-to-market value of the bonds in the interim?

https://valueinvestorsclub.com/idea/BERKSHIRE_HATHAWAY/4105781453#description I want what this guy is smoking. The comments pretty much laugh at the write-up. The quality of VIC write-ups has been going downhill for a while.

So, I spent $1640 to register for the CFA L1 Feb 2025 exam. This is before my graduation date, so I reckon passing the L1 before graduation is a plus point and looks good on my resume? Either way that's not what I care about. Over the last 2 years and in my being around several CFA charter holders, I was instilled the 'value' of the CFA. I've looked into the L1 course material, pretty basic stuff, it's a mile wide but an inch deep. The only thing I needed to learn outside my knowledge in foundational finance is how to plug numbers into a fancy calculator (excel is better). I liked the course material, a lot of things I knew but a lot of things I didn't know. I would say the curriculum has done a good job in contextualizing the knowledge I had and gained, which I think is pretty powerful as I am not a Finance major and most of my Finance knowledge is something I learned myself and of course, some of it to be attributed to my 'mentors' in this forum, your conversations have been gold dust to me. I'm curious if anyone on the forum is a charterholder or is working towards one. What are your thoughts on the program? I've had conversations with a lot of industry professionals, some speak very highly of it while some say it's an outright scam. They seem to be raising prices every year which for a 'non-profit' is very suspect, and the exams seem to be made deliberately tough so that a lot of folks have to fail and then take it again which flows right into the CFA society's topline. Others have told me I'd much rather spend my time studying for the GMAT and get placed into a good MBA program, which I don't think is possible because as an Asian, I am apparently 'white-adjacent' so this along with the legacy applicants and the experienced ones diminish my chances of getting into a good program. I plan on doing the MBA after I've gained at least 5 years of experience in the industry, so it's a long way from here. But in the meantime I would like to know the members thoughts and opinions on the program and any helpful tips and insights that will be of use when I sit for the L1. I know that the CFA doesn't make you a better investor, I thankfully have this forum for that, but it does seem to open a lot of doors.

@Viking, I think a 'thank you' would be too little to express what I am feeling right now. I thank god for all the detours that led me to this forum, I started reading the 500 pager at 12 AM, stopped at 6 AM. I can't recall any moment in my lifetime ever where I spent that amount of time reading. This is now my holy book. Your dedication and passion inspires me and your knowledge overwhelms me. Thank you.

Thanks for the detailed explanation Saluki. You are good at explaining things it seems, I suddenly feel like reading this book, going to pick it up.

I was looking for a Tyson Foods thread and didn't find one. But thought I'd place it here. I'll play @Luke's advocate. https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/department-labor-child-labor-tyson/527-21c0bd01-6313-45a7-843a-f5f00582b841 Why does the western media that harps about sweatshops in China, conveniently forget to cover this news.

Since I am on the topic of songwriting: Jason Isbell, is for me easily one of the top 5 songwriters, at least in english music. Speed Trap Town is an excellent song, never was there a song that explores the themes he explores and the way he goes about exploring it. One of the few artists where the live experience is actually better than the Apple Music one.

Thanks Parsad, didn't know they had a new single out. To me, Pearl Jam peaked here: The crowd won't even let Vedder sing, and at MSG. A musician's dream, very few are able to achieve. I'm a sucker for songwriting and 'Better Man' is pure lyrical marvel. It touches a chord for a lot of women and men. Tell him, "Take no more" She practices her speech As he opens the door, she rolls over Pretends to sleep as he looks her over Talkin' to herself There's no one else who needs to know She tells herself, oh Memories back when she was bold and strong And waiting for the world to come along Swears she knew it, now she swears he's gone She dreams in color, she dreams in red Can't find a better man Can't find a better man Can't find a better man She loved him, yeah She don't want to leave this way She feeds him, yeah That's why she'll be back again How does someone write that? All by himself! There is music with rhyming words, and then there is music with poetry. This song is poetry at it's finest. The band is in a genre of their own.

What could it be I wonder?

We need to talk about the bear case here. We all know that Ozempic is expensive, what is the probability that Ozempic loses market share to Lizzo? Overall, a good amount of pricing pressure has built up, good for the consumers, but bad for the pharmas. https://www.investors.com/news/technology/eli-lilly-novo-nordisk-fall-roche-weight-loss-drug/ https://www.citizen.org/news/public-citizen-urges-hhs-to-unlock-generic-competition-for-popular-weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-and-wegovy/ -> Bigger risk than competitors. https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/weight-loss-drugs-viking-therapeutics-roche-glp-1

On the money, this also depends on what field you're going into. Might as well give up on a career in high finance if you go to a state school, tech and most core engineering jobs on the other hand will welcome state school students with open arms. UMass like you mention is a good state college, places well across fields. The primary reason, from my observation, for state schools to be bad pipelines is because the alumni at state schools very rarely give back. This is not the case with legacy institutions where your alumni bend over backwards for you if you network with them.

This could be fake, but since it's making rounds on social media here it is. Big if true. Very bad symptoms, you won't be missed. I wonder how this will play out on the broader economy down the line. Also would love to see the supply chain implications, franchising growth & real estate movements.

Happy 4th. Petition to change the national anthem to the following.

I don't get the TC hype. Is the writing good? Yes! Are some of the songs good? Definitely. But the cult brain dead following that both Zach Bryan & TC have amassed in recent times is beyond my comprehension.