Thursday, July 30, 2009

knowledgeable career-driven belter betties


Went to a girls dinner at a mate’s last night. And spent the most superb evening embarking on some intellectual finance speak.

It’s evenings like these, set about a table with super intelligent women, sipping on Diemers (the magic case has been opened), and tucking into a home made pie (my mate is a living, walking Bree Van Der Kamp. Really, you should see for yourself),

And my more economically tuned, finance friends taught me about the stock market. I know very little, even though I own a few shares. I know sweet shit actually. I just know I can’t really touch them for a few years.

Wow. But is it interesting. ‘What’s a “vesting period?” I ask tentatively, and next thing I’m being educated in ‘arbitrage’, the ins and outs of insider trading and the intricate details of the Dimension Data pull-out, why Martha Stewart went to prison, and all sorts of amazing things I had no idea my little stocks are doing. Right as we speak.

From there we merged into the root of the economic crisis, and what the American government regulations did to start it all, briefly touching then on cults, but narrowly avoiding religion, and finally ending in global issues such as ‘Do greenhouse gases really contribute to our climatic change, or is the earth naturally adapting to a new era of climate, like the Ice Age?’

Intense, hot topics, so in vogue of women of the 2000s. We touched on men and sex (fetishes to be precise) for maybe about 2 whole minutes.

But babies, marriage, all those things not helluva relatable to my humble existence, never came up. And sorry, but how refreshing. I have a new vested – geddit? Vested - interest in the stock market now.

(I’m downloading a ticker as we speak.)

I realised halfway through the incredible mulled wine pears and coconut mousse dessert, that these are conversations our grandmothers, and possibly even our mothers, would never have had back in their generation.

Stock markets intricacies? Climatic restructuring? Email recall enabler? Satellite navigation tracking systems? Er,…careers?

And not only because these things didn’t exist during their time, (well, the Internet has been going since the late 60s, but you know what I mean).

Although nowadays most of this shit – previously man’s world stuff – just wasn’t accessible to them. Men were living this existence of knowing what was what in business and global matters, women just shut up.

Generations ahead of us will be saying:
‘Shame, my grandmother had one of those Blackberry bricks and all she could see on it was a browser. Giggle giggle.’
While they will talk about their holiday houses in Bloemfontein-On-Sea and ponder what ice caps looked like.

When you really think about it, all these role changes haven’t occurred within centuries of each other, but merely decades. And that’s a mind fuck right there.

At least I think so.

Didn’t think the economy or stocks would interest me at all, but since starting at my company last year, the development in my interest has surprised me.

Now. Back to the Economic Times.

PS: Not discussed over the dinner table, but Moogs showed me this at the Vaal. I was on the floor I think it's so funny:

18 comments:

All Hail said...

Peas!
Its true, innit?

Some crazy stuff we talk about now days compared to what our mums spoke about back then! Evolution at its best.

Totally off the point, but know you enjoy your pilates. Did Pilates at 6am this morning. Wow! From this point on pre-work Pilates will be a bi-weekly occurence! ;)

Peas on Toast said...

All Hail - pilates in the MORNING? That's brave, and hats off to YOU!

I can't do anything in the way of exercise in the morning - I'm not even going to try! So well done you :)

(Not even evolution helps me here ;)

Mickey G said...

Peas, the feminine emancipation is something that has really taken off in the last few decades and I'm all for it.

Not alot of men trust women in positions of authority but I do, the reason being all the girls in my class when I was in school were always smarter than me, that and mother's always seemed to know everything when you young. Two of the signs that the world was changing.

My profession has always had the reputation of being an old boys club but that is also now changing, and for the better.

On the subject of women and economics I firmly believe that Gill Marcus will do a much better job than Tito Mboweni at the Reserve bank. You can use this topic at your next dinner to start an intellectual discussion/debate.

p.s. Loved the hamster!

Peas on Toast said...

Mickey G - Wow, I love that there are actually men like you that actually EXIST.
This whole old school of thought that men need to know more than women in certain financial arenas, or otherwise they feel emasculated, is really just a load of old pants. I mean, come on - we're all being educated in the same way these days, no?

Anyway, thank you - my finance male friends would probably just laugh at me, pat me on the head and say, 'now now, go and do your BA art thing.'

GRRRR.

Anyway thanks a mill! :)

Mickey G said...

To which you can reply to your male finance friends, "We can all see how well the boys in finance have handled the economy given the current economic situation"

Peas on Toast said...

I love you :)
No really :)

PERFECT ANSWER. Can't wait to use it at the next meat market! ;)

Anonymous said...

No dopping today? :)
The stock market is an untamed animal.. But exiting for sure!

Peas on Toast said...

Levi - the stock market is INSANE. Based on greed, if I am honest. But wow, makes for interesting fluctuations in stress, that's for certain!

Pete said...

Your knowledge would put you in the perfect position to get a job in the market.... surely you can do better than some of those overpaid clowns....

Peas on Toast said...

spew - as intyeresting as it sounds, I'd really rather be a knowledgeable observer and sometimes player, rather than the china that hedges the funds, you knowwhadimean. :)

tyrone said...

On the topic of female emancipation, do you think the US will ever have a lady pres? It's an interesting thought.

Mickey G - why is your vote with Marcus?

Greed and finance go hand in hand... I guess in some form or another greed is a key part of capitalism, a major driving force behind many global events - wars, recessions, growth, climate change, etc. The question is could we do without capitalism? It drives as much good as it does evil.

tyrone said...

Look I wouldn't mind being a hedger - just for a month. I could retire afterwards.

http://www.iimagazine.com/article.aspx?articleID=1914753

Peas on Toast said...

tyrone - I reckon so hey! (On th lady pres - if they got over the colour-line with Obama, I reckon there's actually a chance for a lady!)

We also merged into capitalism last night, wondering if we could do without it. I think the kley thing is that its human nature to want more and never be satisfied with what they have. So I don't think it'll ever go away, even if we knew it was better for us not to have capitalism. Make sense?

;)

tyrone said...

Yup but is it better? I'm not sure the human race wants to do without it because I can't see us all working for the greater good or being motivated by it.

Peas on Toast said...

Yip, I agree. Even if one or two of us did it for 'the greater good', the rest of the population is init for the motivation and the money. Let's face it...

tyrone said...

Edzachary! And without the motivation for profits companies and individuals wouldn't be half as innovative as they are meaning fewer products, less thinking, average service, etc.

But that said, I'm all for controls to keep things in check. We all know what happens when people are allowed to do what they want.

moss said...

LMFAO at "Harry Hamster"!!! I wonder if he drinks whisky too like a true "Irish creature"!?

Bron said...

lmao at this. Another similar funny furry mammal: http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/465101/d18d4ddf/knaagdier_zoekt_alan.html