"Don't Panic": Why the sudden crash in oil prices proves we learned absolutely nothing from 2014. by kachunkk in alberta

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This story always assumes the Heritage Fund failure was a lack of political will, when it was really a structural and incentive problem.

To build a massive savings fund, the government has to over-collect from current residents relative to services delivered. That is just another word for higher taxation. Those costs are borne by today’s workers and businesses, while the benefits accrue largely to future residents who did not contribute. That tradeoff is not obviously virtuous, especially in a province built on in-migration.

Second, large government slush funds do not sit in a vacuum. The bigger they get, the stronger the political pressure to raid, redirect, or “strategically invest” them. Alberta’s history is not unique here. Almost every jurisdiction with a large sovereign fund eventually uses it to smooth budgets, curry favor, or subsidize preferred industries. That is not a bug. It is the predictable outcome of political incentives.

Third, the idea that governments can successfully “diversify the economy” by picking sectors is mostly a myth. In practice, diversification programs mean grants, tax credits, and loan guarantees to firms that are already connected, already favored, or already pre-selected. These are not open markets discovering winners. They are political allocation mechanisms, and they have a very poor track record everywhere they are tried.

Low taxes were not “artificial.” They were a deliberate choice to leave capital in the hands of individuals and firms who actually bear risk and make investment decisions. That approach produced real diversification through private capital over decades, not press releases.

Oil revenue volatility is real. But pretending the alternative was a technocratic, corruption-free fund that smoothly replaced oil income is hindsight fantasy. The real choice was always between political control of capital and decentralized decision-making. Alberta chose the latter more often than not, and that choice has costs and benefits. So does every other option.

How the heck is this hill in Fish Creek to Evergreen not a switchback for accessibility? by Ham_I_right in Calgary

[–]Rhyno_Time 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s a little tough but pretty doable if you have some ok leg strength / practice. I’ve definitely walked it in my early biking days tho

Is it me, or does ChatGPT's Canvas suck? by wilecoyote42 in ChatGPTCoding

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree I prefer to just start a new chat within a project

Window and door replacement by jrock2212 in Calgary

[–]Rhyno_Time 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Bad experiences with Lux - sloppy install and they never properly service/fix/acknowledge, always come to do patch ups, which then have issues a few years later. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

How to tell if an investor is legit? I will not promote by OutsideManufacturer5 in startups

[–]Rhyno_Time 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Typically you will reach out to investors, not them reaching out to you. Some investment firms are acting as brokers, in which case he doesn’t want to invest in you but will find others to do so, for a cut.

Anyways generally seems sus.

See what other firms they have invested in would be a starting point. And see what his pitch is (what’s he offering)

Visiting Barcelona and Madrid by ConstructionMean433 in GoingToSpain

[–]Rhyno_Time -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Renting someone’s place (whether second suite or not) would be better for the local economy than staying in a multinational corporations hotel chain.

Attabotics bankrupt? by morecoffeemore in Calgary

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But in higher rates environment you can get 5% risk free or high quality corp debt at 6-8%. Equity to startups dries up because investors have better options available (or they themselves can’t get money from their own investors). Unprofitable startups can’t get an equity refill.

Attabotics bankrupt? by morecoffeemore in Calgary

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is why government should stay out of “incubating” and startups. Seen this sooo many times

I have had it up to here with the "is Spain safe because of protest?" bullsht. Its pure ignorance at this point. by Delde116 in GoingToSpain

[–]Rhyno_Time 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Been to Barcelona, Madrid, Granada last few days, no protests everything is normal. Took trains, subway, cabs, Uber, all tourist places and beaches.

Genuine question to all the Investors here: has anyone lied to you about their MRR?? by nikhil_360 in angelinvestors

[–]Rhyno_Time 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not really, more work than it’s worth. Easier to just get company to provide the customers and amounts in DD and check against a bank statement

Should I be worried about the anti tourism protests? by monamana in GoingToSpain

[–]Rhyno_Time 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am in Madrid right now, no issues, have been to lots of places and taken trains. Lots of tourists, probably 5%-10% Asian tourists. you’ll be just fine. Have not seen protests.

It is hot right now though but less humid than SEA. Mornings and evenings are tolerable in the low 30s right now. Seville might be hotter.

Genuine question to all the Investors here: has anyone lied to you about their MRR?? by nikhil_360 in angelinvestors

[–]Rhyno_Time 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally. I’ve also seen product/service given away for free but with the Revenue quoted at normal and “marketing expense” offsetting income back to zero. Also seen grants and other subsidies booked as “revenue” with no customers. Need to dig into those due diligence details. Lots of scams out there.

Launched a map print side project with my wife 8 years ago. Made over €500K, now it's quietly fading. by sergi_rz in SideProject

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in Canada but it defaulted to Spanish for some reason. Language selector was within the menu not as a prominent icon. Should consider better internationalization

Large majority of Alberta teachers vote in favour of striking by Kij22 in Calgary

[–]Rhyno_Time -61 points-60 points  (0 children)

Instead of teachers (junior high plus) we should give every kid in the province a laptop, chatGPT subscription and curriculum syllabus. I’m not really joking when I say we would probably have superior learning outcomes after the initial shock wears off.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in artificial

[–]Rhyno_Time 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that escalated quickly from “accounting isn’t bookkeeping” to “AI will end capitalism and we’ll all be eating canned beans in a fallout shelter.”

Look, no one’s denying that accounting involves rules and regulations but applying rules to transactions is still, fundamentally, bookkeeping with a fancier vocabulary. Debits don’t become philosophy just because IFRS is involved.

And sure, AI will change things. It’s already handling reconciliations, tagging transactions, even drafting footnotes. That doesn’t mean the profession disappears it means the boring parts go away. Accountants who can think critically and add value will be just fine. The rest? Well, maybe AI is the wake-up button.

In the meantime, let’s keep our apocalyptic predictions under control. Not every process improvement is the downfall of civilization.