Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder9.news.weretis.net!news.nk.ca!rocksolid2!i2pn2.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: D Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Joy of this, Joy of that Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:09:15 +0100 Organization: i2pn2 (i2pn.org) Message-ID: <6682433b-c12c-2d80-665a-c4d32d9b0dbf@example.net> References: <27adnXI82bRUU876nZ2dnZfqnPSdnZ2d@earthlink.com> <99e16cd0-fc18-0799-79be-460bbe75262c@example.net> <1AqdnVrHJMM8Ecv6nZ2dnZfqn_WdnZ2d@earthlink.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Injection-Info: i2pn2.org; logging-data="2227936"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@i2pn2.org"; posting-account="w/4CleFT0XZ6XfSuRJzIySLIA6ECskkHxKUAYDZM66M"; In-Reply-To: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:62143 On Tue, 10 Dec 2024, The Natural Philosopher wrote: > On 09/12/2024 21:53, Rich wrote: >> The Natural Philosopher wrote: >>> On 09/12/2024 15:28, Rich wrote: >>>> ndeed,*very* much so. Which is why "enterprise" and "corporate" IT >>>> environments are so rabid about having "support". "Support" is their >>>> buzzword for "someone else to blame so we can cover our assess when the >>>> shit hits the fan". >>> >>> LOL. >>> >>> Most support contracts are not worth wiping your bottom on. >>> >>> They are just designed to make money out of. >>> >>> The sub prime mortgage crisis was typical of such. >>> >>> "We have shit loads of bad debt that we cant offload" >>> "Well package it up with insurance against failure and sell it as A1 >>> guaranteed debt then" >>> "But what will happen if the insurance companies can't cover it" >>> "Oh that will be the government's problem, not ours" >>> >>> >>> http://vps.templar.co.uk/Cartoons%20and%20Politics/story.jpg >> >> Nice... >> >> Although I doubt that anyone actually asked the "what if" question >> about the insurance companies in the run-up to the explosion. > > Oh they did. My then BiL was deep into finance and banking at the time and > was literally shaking his head in disbelief. The financial times had grave > doubts. > > Cambridge city council bunged 8 million into Icelandic banks which was > stupid. I asked whether the bursar had ever read the FT. The reply came back > 'no, he is too busy' > > My jaw has never actually returned to the correct place. A man in charge of > investing millions of pounds of public money is 'too busy' to read the most > important financial paper in the world? > > Apparently the job consist in random picking of half a dozen investments from > an apprioved list. On that list were several banks that needed rescuing > ultimately.. > > How someone with no apparent experience in finance or accounting got that job > I cannot say. > > It was the same with GM bonds. GM bonds were - or should have been - junk. GM > was essentially bankrupt. > > And yet they were trading on the basis that the political fallout from > letting GM crash and burn was such that the government would always bail them > out That is why I am in favour of having as a _requirement_ for senior public positions and political offices to 1. Have a degree. 2. Know english. Ideally it would be nice to have them pass a psychological test to make sure they are not complete psychos, and perhaps an intelligence test or two as well. =) I doubt I will see the above happen in my lifetime, although, if transhumanism is right, perhaps immortality is around the corner! I also think that having an academic degree actually is a requirement in some countries. In germany senior politicians seem to be very fond of plagiarizing their way to Ph.D:s.