Cryptocurrencies have been blazing hot the last few weeks – the latest is, of course, the parody coin based on a Shiba Inu. What a world we live in!
Charlie Munger calls bitcoin ‘disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization’ [CNBC] – ‘“Of course I hate the bitcoin success,” the 97-year-old Munger said during a Q&A session at Berkshire’s annual shareholder meeting Saturday. “I don’t welcome a currency that’s so useful to kidnappers and extortionists and so forth, nor do I like just shuffling out of your extra billions of billions of dollars to somebody who just invented a new financial product out of thin air.”’ He has a good point about volatility making it a terrible store of value but otherwise, not sure Munger’s argument doesn’t also apply to cash.
99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice [The Technium – Kevin Kelly] – “Assume anyone asking for your account information for any reason is guilty of scamming you, unless proven innocent. The way to prove innocence is to call them back, or login to your account using numbers or a website that you provide, not them. Don’t release any identifying information while they are contacting you via phone, message or email. You must control the channel.” This is a good bit of financial advice, but the other 98 are better bits for life.
The movie, Catch Me If You Can, about Frank Abagnale (that starred Leonardo DiCaprio) is really fun. It also struck me as a bit outlandish and exaggerated but it’s a movie after all. It has to be outlandish and exaggerate for it to be fun. So it would not surprise me if it was totally made up too.
Could this famous con man be lying about his story? A new book suggests he is [WHYY] – “But though the movie claims to be based on a true story, creating the myth of Frank W. Abagnale Jr. might be the best con that Abagnale actually pulled. A new book contends that the story of the charming teen running from the FBI and pulling off all those impersonations without getting caught is mostly made up.”