RMK

I don’t know if you took a beating in your 401K or for what other reason you feel all the world’s financial markets are corrupt and geared against you, but this type of post is no different than the multitude of SC articles where someone posts a link to a poorly written article with a one-liner such as “Look at these dems”, “Look at these conservatives”, “Look at what Obama caused” – the usual fodder for which you have near 50,000 posts exposing their error or naivety. Yes, I usually laugh at their stupidity too, but with finance you miss the mark. Fraud happens in all sectors of business and life, globally, always has, always will. We can do all we can to lessen or eliminate it – but there will always be bad people. Painting any industry with the same brush is wrong. If you attempt, at least do some real research to look credible. Note: statistically, medical doctors and scientists have always made poor investors/traders. The reason is the mindset. A trader in the financial markets can be successful with only around 55% correct trades. Whereas, a medical doctor really needs to be in the high 90 percentile. (Any doctor that has a 55% success rate on diagnosing illness is not a doctor I’d want to visit when ill). Here’s how the financial press really works. New reporter is tasked with covering an area of finance such as hedge funds; he’s the new hedge fund columnist for (insert magazine/newspaper) He finds, the largest and best fund managers will not bother taking his calls or having a meeting – many are outright rude and abruptly stop his calls. Why? Generally nothing good usually good comes of it, these are private vehicles & don’t/cannot offer to the general public. So this reporter will struggle along and for what he doesn’t know, he will fill in the blanks with what he thinks or supposes. This yields poor quality articles that come nowhere near explaining any situation or event as it should. I’ve been involved where a global industry body worked with reporters to help educate them and provide them access to key/prominent individuals in the sector. We’d then see, over a period, their reporting become much better (good or bad press, as long as it is correct). Then invariably after about two years, their editors (I don’t know why) would rotate them into a totally different sector – the finance columnist is now covering something like the auto industry. Over decades, this only serves to better the individual reporter’s career (I assume making them more “rounded”) and thus yielding a steady supply of reporters who do not understand their subject matter. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Funjumper, those are correct and concise points. Realise that for every narrow-minded halfwit that comes back with a moronic reply, there are probably 10 reasonable and intelligent people that read your post and agree; but wil not bother to post. SC is to socio/political debate what "Fox & Friends" is to news - you tune in to see what dumb shit they'll say today; not as a source for real information. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Recommend you keep $500 cash on your person. Any journey of that length through the American southland will guarantee an encounter with a hick town policeman/sheriff. With a foreign driving license, a speeding ticket of something as little 15mph over the speedlimit (varying by state) can see you sitting in a holding cell while your wife/partner drives around their hick county looking for an ATM to get cash to get you out - not hearsay; found myself sitting in the cell thinking "WTF, I'm actually in jail for going 78mph?" "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

This is the second version; I believe coming out in the US in late July. Supposedly better than first try. I'll follow your advice, but are you referring to this specific camera? "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

re clicky... My Bad, I accidentally clicked the u button instead of the url "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

I've stayed with my Sony CX, though I've come close to buying a GoPro, but always thought the form factor was shit - for skydiving or any other uses I had in mind (cumbersome box w/ large silly finger screw). I see this new JVC GC-AX2 http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6500_7-57592831/jvc-fixes-up-its-adixxion-pov-cam/ Looks/seems skydiver friendly. Anyone know any more on them? "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Yes, definitely bold. I remember first time seeing it from a distance and thinking damn that looks like guys hanging onto a bamboo lattice on that skyscraper. Got closer and yes that's exactly what they do. Not even double layer, so you can lay planks and have walkways. A lot of deaths/injuries though; unfortunately they have the mindset of "disposable" workers. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

I love balloon jumps. Another benefit is that you can take up non-jumping spouses/friends/small children to see and share in the jump. If you’re the only jumper on the load and/or solo exit, falling back and watching the balloon fall away is cool. Here’s a video where I had my wife and son in the basket and had my 5yr old count me down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivYgZMaFPI "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

***Ninja slippers... Yes, I join Doug in laughing at the “Ninja Shoes”. Normally these discussions are were someone endangers themselves/others by trying to look “cool”, but here we have the dual purpose of someone looking like a dork and being unsafe. The OP noted they are not in martial arts. I do train in martial arts and this footwear is not used in any discipline or style. The footwear noted is used by unskilled construction workers in Asia, primarily for building or scaffolding work. In Asia, they (believe it or not) still use bamboo scaffolding in constructing large/tall buildings. The framework is only one layer deep (very not like US OSHA standards) and the guys use these to help in climbing – so no you don’t look like a Ninja; you look like some unskilled grunt on a work site. You have to stop living in the movies or video games. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

I’m with Nataly here. Not being able to drive a manual-shift car is like an adult that doesn’t know how to swim – it’s just incomprehensible to me. I remember being about 13 years old and riding with someone driving a manual. I watched intently at how they did it. Later when I was given a chance to drive a manual myself at about 14, they asked if I knew how. I replied yes, and was able to take off without stalling and drive fine – it’s not that damn hard. For the countries that produce higher grade cars, you will often see high-end manuals costing more than their automatic variants. Yet, the US has this 1950’s mentality that an automatic is some type of upgrade/option. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Tudor era bong pipe. It's how you smoked your weed in the 1500's. Everyone knows modern glass bongs were not widely available until the Victorian era "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Last minute word change on my iPhone; didn’t immediately think of it as a Jewish origin term - meant as a synonym for fanatical. In my youth, my mother took us to Church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night Bible study included. Finally, in my teens was gradually able to get out of going – I never plan to step foot in a church again. I realise to some, their religious faith is very much a part of who they are and this makes it difficult to have an open conversion with them (I’m OK with calling the NRA crowd “gun crazies”, but believe it’s poor form to use similar phrasing in religious debates/discussions). I don’t believe a reasonable person needs the “Ten Commandments” to know it’s wrong to kill or steal. On net, over the past millennium, it could be argued religion (globally/all) has caused mankind more harm than good. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Do they even teach geography in US schools anymore? The US does have a high number of religious zealots, but certainly has a higher number of non-religious than thought. Unlike Europe, in the US you can easily be ostracised by friends, family and even damage your career if you are openly athiest or agnostic - better to just say "yeah I'm Protestant" and not incur the hassle "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Re you choice of news outlets, be aware that our "Daily Mail" is on par with your "National Enquirer". No one with an IQ higher than would get you disability tax allowance, would consider it as real news/reporting. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Yes, in good company. There are only three countries left on the planet not officially on the metric system - Angola, Myanmar and the US. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

or worse, when two drivers will drive side-by-side on a 4-lane highway for miles - thus clogging the road for everyone. This seems indigenous to the US east coast and worsens the further south you go. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

In reference to the Rudyard Kipling quote “"What do they know of England, who only England know?” your picture is not complete unless you have looked at a country as both an insider and outsider. I lived in the US through my early school years and went to university there. In the southern town I grew up in, a majority of families (mine included) owned guns. After graduating I lived in Chicago and kept a .45 semi-auto handgun with clips of bullet points in my flat. So yes, I’ve experienced the American gun culture firsthand. However after being back in the UK for the last 20 years and travelling quite extensively, I fully agree with the majority of the rest of the planet – it is not conducive for a modern society to have its populace running around kitted up like Rambo. Dogmatic and narrow mindedness should be avoided not applauded. You can argue how you do it, but fewer guns in America would be a distinctly good thing. You have an odd mix of collective viewpoints; it’s a country where a 20yr old can’t buy a beer, but the 16yr old kid working at the Wal-Mart counter can have a Glock in the back of his waistband. TV shows where everyone is getting their heads chopped off are OK, but don’t dare show a woman’s bare breast on television or print ads (like Europe); it will corrupt the children and be the downfall of society. The American public would be better served if they listened more to the most intelligent members of their population, not just the loudest and most unrelenting. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

My friend’s daughter is at the University of Illinois, Champagne and wants to plan a skydiving trip with a group (I’m assuming tandems or AFF1 jumps). He asked me about any recommendations/info for her group. Of course, Skydive Chicago (Ottawa) is great, but is a 95mile drive for them. Any suggestions on DZs closer to Champagne? "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Company called Wisco (at www.backupoutlook.com) has software that works well. Can't remember if they also have software for Mac though. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

It has always been my style, that if you have a problem with someone, you deal with that person directly (not their family, business or possessions). I see what you’re doing here as the equivalent to scratching someone’s car in the parking lot, with a key, because you’re mad at them – in short a childish and cowardly move. Having a look at your blog, I see it has really drawn out the nutcases and you’ll probably get your “wished for” two minutes on Fox News. They’ll get their Fox News “Why can’t America be more like 1955” sound bite from you in their usual way and then immediately go into something like “next up after the break, we have a Minnesota woman who has taught her cat to play the piano.” Seriously, I think you’ll look back at this as a mistake in the manner in which you have handled it. With all the analogies made, here’s one that’s applicable. Say I don’t care for Southern Baptists, so on my next travels through the American south, I decide to wear a “Fuck Jesus” t-shirt. Should I be surprised if I run into problems and am not welcomed or asked to leave – even if it’s my right to wear any t-shirt I wish? - does it matter if I’m also a military veteran? It’s sad and disrespectful that what you are doing embarrasses “real” heroes and takes away from them. The honourable and brave are respected not by just your country but from other countries also. Use your efforts to make yourself better, not hinder others – the latter is a true waste of your time. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Just to be clear, the article and subsequent comments here are all referring to those of lower intellect, but full functioning members of society; not where there is a full disability or retardation – that should never be made light of. The lower end of the data set discussed here are fully functioning and can perform tasks such as having reading/writing abilities to the extent of being able to fill out a conceal/carry permit form or an NRA membership application. (My bad, did I type that out loud) "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

It isn’t an article on IQ metrics; it’s an article on the study of the thought processes of those of limited/low intellect. However, since you ask, most people when referring to IQ tests think or refer to the Stanford–Binet test and scale. There are at least 16, probably over 20 differing tests and scales. For example, admission to Mensa, requires taking a mix of at least 4 differing tests with at least one of the tests being fully non-culturally biased (i.e. it’s all pictures/graphics). You must score in the top 2% of the population and if you fail, you cannot retry the exams for at least 5 years. For this purpose, it doesn’t really matter the exact numbers; we are discussing those on the low side of the bell curve distribution. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

The article goes on to note a difference between IQ (intelligence quotient) and an additional measure RQ (rationality quotient). Using both together, for an individual, whereby they show a high and low score of each respectively would explain the many “smart people doing stupid things” examples. However, your note in relating the use of heuristics only to laziness is wrong. For many it is all they have – they are (for lack of a more succinct term) stupid. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

There’s an excellent article on the study of stupidity in New Scientist Magazine this month. It initially notes that most scientific study has historically focused on the high-end extremes of intelligence, but little work has been done on the other extreme (stupidity) due to it previously being deemed of little value and it just wasn’t deemed a “professional” area of study. The full article is not available on the web yet (it’s this month’s magazine) however it presents some interesting findings. Applicable to the ramblings of posters, not just here on SC, but on any web forum, is the use of cognitive shortcuts such as evolved biases “heuristics”. In brief, those of limited intelligence rely more heavily on developed mental stereotypes to process and understand information. They create strongly held stereotypes and then attempt to fit information (which they can’t really comprehend) into a more binary understanding. The result is that they see things only in “white & black” instances without interpretation of anything in between. Framing any topic or discussion as liberal/conservative in an absolute mindset is just such an example. Another example would be the “stupid” person’s ability to only understand a simple linear process with only one input (when in practice & reality there are a myriad of inputs which are variable). "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

Where do you get your financial information? Finance and banking is a quite broad area. This sentence and your comments on other threads with mention of entities such as “stock companies” leaves me scratching my head; I can’t understand what you’re talking about. The concept of the US 401K plans does put individuals more in control – it would be a useful addition for other countries to incorporate. You’re angry and wish America could go back to 1955; we get that. We just ask that your rants are phrased so as to be comprehensible. "Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"