Well, I finally got around to it.
I watched, The Big Short.
For those unfamiliar with the movie, it's about the financial meltdown of 2007-2008 in the United States, and inevitably the entire globe. Since it's based on true events, I don't really have to worry about spoiler alerts!
Unfortunately, it seems many are still unaware of the actual events that preceded the meltdown, and who should be held accountable, and where the "bailout" money ended up.
Basically, banks gave out loans with high premiums (monthly costs) to sub-prime credit scores (low scores / high risk) - and then did it a billion times, while combining those with less risky investments to balance out. Well, long story short, the house of cards crashed.
It's crazy to think about all the corruption that goes on behind closed doors. This is a dominant theme throughout the film, as it reminds the audience how cold and heartless the corporation and its share hodlers can be. While this is likely human nature, there is a far from gentle reminder that, every 1% unemployment climbs - 40,000 more deaths occur annually.
It's got me thinking about all the obvious market manipulation, marketing, public relations, government - actually have a very powerful role in the overall cryptocurrency market.
It makes me want to storm the beaches of Normandy - retrieve all the Bitcoins, invest my whole life savings into BitConnect - fuck, create my own super AI trading bot powered by a blockchain / cryptocurrency. (This might actually happen, be on the lookout :]) Who knows, move to the big city - and try to quadruple down on all the opportunities I can create. Yes, just grab life by the throat.
This brought up another interesting point, which I am currently reading more about in the book, The Tipping Point.
It discusses viral behavior, and catalysts in ideas, or bacteria, or products spread exponentially. These connections between people, events, and ideas, is amazing to me.
But sometimes, your drink goes cold reading the tea leaves for too long. Analysis paralysis exists, people! I am practicing by reading about both Technical Analysis, and Fundamentals. While it can be a bit more tedious, I believe that a healthy balance of investing can lead to some exponential results.
What would I give the Big Short? 5 Stars.
But maybe I'm partial. Steve Carrell is probably my favorite actor. And Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt is a heavy lineup.
I definitely recommend checking it out! And the book too, it's a great read so far.
