The Unbearable Banishment: Not FDIC Insured | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Not FDIC Insured | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee

This past week I was designing a library of marketing brochures to promote a group of investment vehicles. One of them is called The Russian Fund. As the name implies, the fund is populated with Russian growth stocks and investments. While I was laying it out I was thinking to myself, isn't the Russian business and political machine notoriously corrupt? Why would anyone send their money to Russia? It seems like a bad bet to me, but what do I know? I'm just a dopey graphic designer. I passed on Google when it was $32/share. [Sadly, not kidding about that].

Then I got to the all-important disclosure. You know what that is? That's the tiny, tiny print in the back that NOBODY ever reads. Get a load of these two sentences that were buried within. And the bold emphasis is theirs, not mine!

There may be a Lack of Reliable Financial Information and there is less transparency with Russian investments. Potential for Expropriation, Dilution, Devaluation, Default or Excessive Taxation by the Russian government.

I didn't know what "expropriation" meant so I had to looked it up. It means that the Russian government might take your money and/or property for no good reason and there's nothing you can do about it. Isn't that crazy! Why am I actively involved with promoting this investment? I feel dirty. Buyer beware, indeed.

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Speaking of warnings...I recently saw a movie in Times Square. Some of the Times Square movie houses are still like the wild west. If you're bothered by people talking out loud to each other, cell phone calls during the quiet parts of the film, 4-year old children frantic from drinking jumbo-sized Coca-Colas and that sort of thing, you'd better not bother.

When I walked into the theater I turned the corner and saw two kids who must have been about 19 years old changing the diaper of their baby who was laid down on the seat between them. Kids with kids. There's nothing sadder. At the box office, they post this warning sign. It says, basically, don't bring a kid in who is under six years old to an R rated movie after 6:00 p.m. They call it "Distraction Free Entertainment."

You don't see THAT in the suburbs! This means there were SO MANY 5-year old children being brought into loud, VIOLENT, scary R-rated movies, that they actually had to CREATE A SIGN asking people (mainly, kids with kids) to refrain from doing it. Tragic Town, U.S.A.

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Random NYC photo.


This is where I eat lunch every day when the weather is cooperating. There are several streets in the city that have been turned into permanent pedestrian malls and plazas. This one is right outside Grand Central Station. A great place to watch the chaos pass by. It's like a beehive.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yep! Life is sad. As it was in earlier times.Mankind learns sod-all.
But Grand Central? I could live there. Truly. And I'm not keen on crowds. But oh! I love that place.And everything you need is a short walk away(like good coffee, not Star*ucks!)

June 25, 2011 at 11:39 PM  
Anonymous daisyfae said...

when the Russian funds tank, the folks who dumped their millions into the risk will whine, complain, and expect some sort of bail out. i would love to see them try to sue the Russian government...

June 26, 2011 at 12:15 AM  
Blogger Pat said...

I can see the charm of your lunch spot. The whole world at your finger tips.

June 26, 2011 at 2:28 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

MIT: You've got to take the Kids with Kids along with the Grand Central Stations. It all levels out in the end.

daisy: The guy who owned the Yukos oil company in Russia went up against Vlad. He's in prison now, probably for life.

Pat: I like my fly-on-the-wall existence. I'd like untold wealth but would never want fame. You couldn't do things like this!

June 26, 2011 at 3:17 PM  
Blogger LẌ said...

I mostly now see movies at a local chain that has a very strict no-yakking (or texting!) policy. One warning from the manager, then ejection without refund if the disruption continues.

But, they also have designated family showings during the week were young children are most welcome.

June 26, 2011 at 10:47 PM  
Blogger tennysoneehemingway said...

They allow children into R rated movies? What the fuck is that about?

June 27, 2011 at 3:28 AM  
Blogger Eryl said...

What's an R rated movie? Here the ratings are all about age, you have to be able to prove you are over 18 to get into see a film that's violent, shows too much flesh, etc. There was some debate about whether one or two of the Harry Potter films were suitable for kids under a certain age (this may have been as old as 12 but I can't quite remember the details).

Love your lunch spot, do you make your sandwiches every morning and take them with you?

June 27, 2011 at 4:09 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

xl: By any chance, are you talking about the Alamo Draft House movie theater? They just published an article about that place in the NY Times!

Hem: Well, if they can't find or afford a sitter, I guess they feel they won't be denied their movie. Selfish.

Eryl: "R" means nobody under 18 is allowed in unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. It's a bit of a loophole. As for my lunch, I bring a sandwich every day. It costs +/- $8 to eat lunch in this neighborhood and it really adds up!

June 27, 2011 at 7:31 AM  
Blogger LẌ said...

Yes! Alamo Drafthouse! I also like it because one can get a meal as well. Every other row has been replaced with tables for the food service, so less crowded as well. I highly recommend.

June 27, 2011 at 7:36 AM  
Blogger Kono said...

The only movie i want to see in Times Square is a porno movie, sadly i bet there are none of those theatres left.

June 27, 2011 at 9:54 PM  

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