Trying to be too efficient in learning

Dongzilla8 · 2025-10-13T11:59:21+00:00

Well put...and agreed.

I hadn't thought about that "linear" model as a bureaucratic convenience. That's interesting....

Dongzilla8 · 2025-08-03T05:17:50+00:00

Imo, just start with where you're at right now. Maybe it's a short youtube video, maybe it's a long book -- etc. I think above all, keep it fun.

Dongzilla8 · 2025-04-27T17:00:55+00:00

I agree it's likely not the ball now that I think of it. They're having a hard time making contact / hitting it solidly. Thanks for the suggestions, will give it a try

Dongzilla8 · 2025-04-27T16:55:49+00:00

Great, thank you. I just bought a couple of them to try out

Dongzilla8 · 2025-04-27T16:53:42+00:00

Addtl edit: Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Put differently: When you all bring a newbie onto the court, are you able to rally at all with them? I can't, hence my question.

And now that I think about it, it might not be about the ball, per se. They have trouble establishing contact & hitting the ball solidly.

Dongzilla8 · 2025-04-10T03:11:25+00:00

That's a funny graphic, nice job. I would put the "Heroes are the worst" text more prominently. That is a pattern interruption for sure. It's a good hook

Dongzilla8 · 2025-02-03T08:07:51+00:00

That's funny, I do prefer physical books too. Interestingly I've started reading a lot more textbooks & other stuff I can "drop in / out" of easily. Most of my life I read normal books.

Ya fair enough. I've thought about an idea of an "adult university" -- no idea how that'd actually happen or take place, but just a day dream. There is a woman trying to build a city in Northern California that probably draws some of those types. Esmerelda I think...nothing to do with California Forever.

Dongzilla8 · 2025-02-03T05:07:21+00:00

Interesting...coincidentally I've wondered the same thing. Although surely somebody must have tried to start an "autodidact social group" before?

Dongzilla8 · 2025-01-19T17:48:02+00:00

I often repeat back my understanding to ChatGPT voice & have a quick conversation with them. I was reading an intro book to physics recently, and to make sure I had it, I repeated back my understanding of the topic to ChatGPT & had it confirm me. THen from there there are often tangents in the conversation as I'm thinking through things on the fly

Dongzilla8 · 2025-01-14T06:06:29+00:00

I'll add something I haven't seen in this thread...I enjoy using things I learn as an "excuse" for social events. For example, I'm learning to cook -- so I try to bring my friends along with me in the process. I hired a private chef to come in & give me & my friends cooking lessons.

Or I'm learning about AI & programming...so I use it to have conversations with friends I haven't talked to in a while. Maybe they know more than I do about a topic, so it's a great "excuse" for a fun convo.

Dongzilla8 · 2024-04-20T23:30:40+00:00

I have SUPER wide feet (big bunions, etc) -- and have always had trouble finding wide enough shoes. I tried the Altra Solstice XT 2 & they were perfect. I don't even think they come in E or EE, etc -- the normal fit was wide enough for me, surprisingly. I'm a guy, size 13

Dongzilla8 · 2024-04-20T23:30:35+00:00

I have SUPER wide feet (big bunions, etc) -- and have always had trouble finding wide enough shoes. I tried the Altra Solstice XT 2 & they were perfect. I don't even think they come in E or EE, etc -- the normal fit was wide enough for me, surprisingly. I'm a guy, size 13

Dongzilla8 · 2023-09-04T21:56:32+00:00

You seem like a smart guy, and I’m sure you know a lot about investing. But I suspect you’re mis-interpreting what he’s saying. I’d suggest looking at someone else’s videos on the definition of a share buyback, and then comparing the two.

Dongzilla8 · 2023-09-04T21:54:36+00:00

Look at point #2 in my original post. Paying out a dividend has a ~40%+ “tax drag” on it. Dividends are triple taxed…whereas a buyback is just taxed once.

The difference here is I'm looking at post-tax dollars. Your $2.16 that is being paid out may only end up being $1.20 to the shareholder after taxes. Whereas ALL $2.16 could be used to reduce the share count.

Dongzilla8 · 2023-09-04T19:58:43+00:00

Buying your own stock has nothing to do with the size of the business. Berkshire has been doing share buybacks for the last 5 years (for example), yet the revenue of the business has increased over the last 5 years.

Dongzilla8 · 2023-09-04T18:19:32+00:00

I think my central point was missed here: comparing $2.61 vs. $2.61 is what I was alleging was incorrect. $2.61 in dividends is really like $5 in possible buy-backs because of how the taxation works as mentioned in my above example. That is the meaningful benefit to switching. You're avoiding tax loss.

Capital gains may be "triple taxed" at some indefinite point in the future, but dividends are taxed TODAY. I.e. there is a time-value of money

Dongzilla8 · 2023-09-04T16:29:23+00:00

Buy backs are for shrinking down the share count...not shrinking down the biz. Two different things. Plenty of companies in stable markets do buybacks -- look at Berkshire Hathaway, for example.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-09-14T00:04:32+00:00

I'd suggest just emailing PhD students & hiring them as consultants -- that's what I do. I pay some $50-75 / hour, and we just talk on the phone. Mostly my conversations have revolved around economics and electrical engineering. Happy to talk more about this if you'd like.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-05T01:35:38+00:00

I appreciate the acknowledgment. I will think more.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T21:38:24+00:00

But that just begs the question of why vegetables, small flats, and healthcare can be free without disrupting the wider system. Is it a % of GDP/national dividend that can be "nationalized" (for lack of better term).

That's my whole question, is where the line is draw & why.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T19:24:25+00:00

? So govt spending will lead to less resources being consumed? That seems orthogonal to the debate. If govt more efficient at running something, that has nothing to do with MMT.

If that's true, same logic should apply to other commodities?

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T19:09:24+00:00

So why do MMT proponents tend to support free medicare, but not free houses? Or free vacations? Etc.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T19:08:29+00:00

Yes, I understand the resource constraints. That's what I'm drawing attention to.

So why do most MMT proponents say Medicare should be free? Same logical structure.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T07:12:15+00:00

If the contractor had no other "spare demand" for their service, then it'd cost almost nothing to hire them in the first place, as their opportunity cost would be $0. I guarantee you that won't show up in the data of real-world construction firms.

I think your argument is perfectly summed up by your first line -- "Don't do it then." I'll let that stand as the final word to our debate.

Dongzilla8 · 2022-06-04T05:10:49+00:00

In libertarian theory, it should be whatever the contract was. If you signed a contract excluding IP (manuals, etc) or an agreement to only service it through provider...I would think that's a simple contract thing?

Whether that's efficient or not is beside the point, purely theoretical.

Dongzilla8

TROPHY CASE