#instruments - Hello Poetry

There’s been so much in the news lately - they’re filling up actual paper papers! Paris isn’t only zinc countertops and surly waiters you know - although those are the best parts. No, Paris, has been pronounced the pickpocket capital of the world! First of all, I’d like to thank all the “little people” who made this possible: The tourists who stumble around looking at their phones (hello, cobblestone streets). Ladies who walk, eating a baguette with one hand, fishing through their wide-open bag with the other. Anyone who lets someone stop and distract them with ‘friendship bracelets,’ surveys or whatever.. People, guard your stuff like you’d guard your lattes. If anyone tries to talk to you on the street or metro, give ‘em a stiff-arm and a ***** look. Do you think Parisians fall for these things - or New Yorkers? No. Be aware - people - before someone steals your underwear. Here’s another news item.. Bitcoin has lost its value - again - and ordinary people have lost billions - AGAIN. As a public service I’m going to explain it: Bitcoins are UNREGULATED and unregulated means = RIPOFF. I know I’m just a lowly med-student but I KNOW a few ‘rich people’ and how financial instruments work. My parents (and Grandmère) explained, early on, how economics works. 4-year-old me was wide-eyed - I’d always loved magic - so talk of the ‘alchemy of markets’, and ’invisible hands,’ kept me spell bound. By year 5, I was jaded, I’d heard it all - derivatives, structured finance, game theory, general equilibrium, adaptive rules and rational expectations. At 6, half of my crayon drawings were about statistical arbitrage high-frequency trading. If someone wants to sell you on an unregulated financial instrument (like bitcoin) - back away. If they have stories about some 10 year old who’s made millions - back away. The only people making money on ‘Trump bitcoins' are - three guesses (thieves). When your Bitcoin account says you have 300 million dollars - try to cash it in - good luck with THAT. ‘Blockchains’ (Crypto) are just big spreadsheets - you know, like Excel - and YOU aren’t an administrator. If someone tries to sell you on NFTs, offshore supervised funds, DeFi tokens or yield farms. no, No NO. If someone steps-up on you, or stops you on the street - back away - you’ve been marked as a chump. Wake UP people - short of winning the lottery or a scratch-off, there’s no such thing as ‘quick money.’ This has been a sincere, but mostly unpoetic Public service announcement. . . A song for this: All Gone Away by The Style Council With Everything To Lose by The Style Council

0

Feb 6

Feb 6, 2026 at 10:42 AM UTC

anaisvionet

pickpockets

There’s been so much in the news lately - they’re filling up actual paper papers! Paris isn’t only zinc countertops and surly waiters you know - although those are the best parts. No, Paris, has been pronounced the pickpocket capital of the world! First of all, I’d like to thank all the “little people” who made this possible: The tourists who stumble around looking at their phones (hello, cobblestone streets). Ladies who walk, eating a baguette with one hand, fishing through their wide-open bag with the other. Anyone who lets someone stop and distract them with ‘friendship bracelets,’ surveys or whatever.. People, guard your stuff like you’d guard your lattes. If anyone tries to talk to you on the street or metro, give ‘em a stiff-arm and a ***** look. Do you think Parisians fall for these things - or New Yorkers? No. Be aware - people - before someone steals your underwear. Here’s another news item.. Bitcoin has lost its value - again - and ordinary people have lost billions - AGAIN. As a public service I’m going to explain it: Bitcoins are UNREGULATED and unregulated means = RIPOFF. I know I’m just a lowly med-student but I KNOW a few ‘rich people’ and how financial instruments work. My parents (and Grandmère) explained, early on, how economics works. 4-year-old me was wide-eyed - I’d always loved magic - so talk of the ‘alchemy of markets’, and ’invisible hands,’ kept me spell bound. By year 5, I was jaded, I’d heard it all - derivatives, structured finance, game theory, general equilibrium, adaptive rules and rational expectations. At 6, half of my crayon drawings were about statistical arbitrage high-frequency trading. If someone wants to sell you on an unregulated financial instrument (like bitcoin) - back away. If they have stories about some 10 year old who’s made millions - back away. The only people making money on ‘Trump bitcoins' are - three guesses (thieves). When your Bitcoin account says you have 300 million dollars - try to cash it in - good luck with THAT. ‘Blockchains’ (Crypto) are just big spreadsheets - you know, like Excel - and YOU aren’t an administrator. If someone tries to sell you on NFTs, offshore supervised funds, DeFi tokens or yield farms. no, No NO. If someone steps-up on you, or stops you on the street - back away - you’ve been marked as a chump. Wake UP people - short of winning the lottery or a scratch-off, there’s no such thing as ‘quick money.’ This has been a sincere, but mostly unpoetic Public service announcement. . . A song for this: All Gone Away by The Style Council With Everything To Lose by The Style Council