This document contains Jan Bak's reflections on various concepts and terms from different perspectives, including:
- Inflation from what people think it means versus what it means to Bak
- Flyover country from different perspectives
- Meritocracy from different viewpoints
- And several other terms analyzed in the same way
It also includes some charts and statistics about the US economy, education system, and largest companies. There are brief contemplations at the end on various everyday topics.
12. The U.S. market is pretty, pretty huge
0
5
10
15
$20 Trill
United States
$17.4
China
$10.4
Japan
$4.8
$3.8
France
$2.9 $2.8
Germany United
Kingdom
GDP - $Trillions
Economy Views From The U.S.
BAK
13. Lots of good schools in the U.S. too
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
United States
46
United
Kingdom
10
6
Australia
5 5
Germany
Japan
Number of
Times Higher Ed
100 Universities -
Reputation Rankings
Education Views From The U.S.
BAK
14. You’ve probably heard of a few
# University Country
1 Harvard University United States
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States
3 Stanford University United States
4 University of Cambridge United Kingdom
5 University of Oxford United Kingdom
6 University of California, Berkeley United States
7 Princeton University United States
8 Yale University United States
9 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) United States
10 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) United States
11 The University of Tokyo Japan
12 Columbia University United States
13 Imperial College London United Kingdom
14 University of Chicago United States
15 University of Michigan United States
16 ETH Zürich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich Switzerland
17 Cornell University United States
18 Johns Hopkins University United States
19 Kyoto University Japan
20 University of Toronto Canada
Education Views From The U.S.
BAK
15. The companies are a big deal
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
United States
32
China
15
Germany
10
France
8
Japan
7
Number of Global
Fortune 100 Companies
- Headquarters
Employment Views From The U.S.
BAK
16. It all ‘works’ quite well…get it?
0
20
40
60
80
United States
63
Europe
31
Asia
3
Number of LinkedIn
World's 100 Most
InDemand Employers
Employment Views From The U.S.
BAK
18. People keep telling me that I should buy Bitcoins or even understand what the hell that is. Seems completely criminal if you ask me. I’m all
for trying new technology and being “on the forefront” of things but it really doesn’t appear any different from how the
U.S. monetary system creates “new money” electronically, just instead of reputable citizens doing it, it is some backwards weirdos.
If I can convince myself that Bitcoins are something more than just nerds
doing nerd things then maybe I’ll give that whole concept some more thought.
Until then, I’ll stick to accumulating wealth using means that won’t get me in trouble with FBI agents.
Better a Rolex on the wrist, then cuffs around the fist.
COFFEE BREAK CONTEMPLATION #1
21. 2 x 1.00794 + 1 x 15.9994 | 1,8,1
24,901 = 2𝜋𝐸 ≈ 24,860
1988500.0E24 333K M⊕
1.99 x 1020 =
𝐺∗𝑀⊕∗(0.07342 x 1024
kg)
384,400,0002
1
𝑛
𝑌
≝≝ ≝
≝
≝ ≝
≝
+=
22. B = 𝑑𝐵 ≥ 300
06/30/1908
21.4000° N, 89.5167° W … 65,000,000 a
382102369508366000000 mi < 13,800,000,000 ly ǁ {-14 pc, 14 pc} ǁ ⌀ = 93 ╤ 5,881,294,545,900,000 au
Ω
0 ≠ 1L
A
V
W
dBmvar
VA
F
H
S
C
Ah
kWh
eV
Ω▪m
S/m
N/C
V▪mT
G
Wb
Hz
s
m
m2
ppm
(x,y,z,ict)
(M,g)
diag(1, -1, -1, -1)
p mv
∆𝑈 𝑄 𝜕𝑄 𝑇
S k
i2 -1
29. Reinvention of the coffee
shop atmosphere
Revitalization of the
city street
Real development of the
18-24 age group
BLACK FUEL
CULTURE
30. Beverage spend*
($4.30 per customer)
Proliferation of channel
development ($1.5 billion)
Coffeehouse food offerings**
($3.75 per ‘food-included’ sale)
COMMERCECOMMERCE
BLACK FUEL
*company-operated stores **U.S. stores, food included in 1/3 of transactions
31. Store design & accessibility
(21,000+ appealing retail outlets)
Elite endorsement Digital payment leadership
(15% of transactions on mobile*)
CURRENCYCURRENCY
BLACK FUEL
*paradigm primarily in U.S.
32.
33. COFFEE BREAK CONTEMPLATION #2
What is Shen Yun exactly? I get asked if I want a pamphlet every time I’m in a mall or something of that nature.
With all these bright lights, huge signs, and supremely confident solicitors competing for my attention, I sometimes feel wrong
when I actively avoid interacting with people who want to sell me something.
It’s okay though, once my friend from New York told me that if you don’t learn to sidestep
those kinds of situations, then you’ll never get to where you are going on time.
Or even worse, you might have to listen to some dude rap to you.
35. According to German superstition,
not looking a person into the
eyes when you toast brings
7 years of bad sex
According to Polish culture, not
taking a nap during a party
is bad luck for the night
According to American tradition,
not treating a Chicagoan with
respect leads to a lifetime
of bad karma
36. I HEARD YOU MAKE MONEY.....
I GET MINE LIKE THIS
I’m
Out
For Presidents
To Represent Me
64. I haven’t seen too many of those
since I graduated college. I go
online to ask for student loan
payment deferments.
Old
News
Millennial…what is this?
65. COFFEE BREAK CONTEMPLATION #3
I remember when a Black Card was like the epitome of luxury and success. Now there’s a few mail offers for some type of Black Card each month.
Not that I need another credit card, but it sure is difficult to not continuously be sucked into using more and more.
It’s good that they got rid of some of those really bad terms they used to have, everything from ‘universal default’
to all that other crazy shit. Funny how today we think “OMG that’s so ridiculously unfair I can’t believe it actually used to happen”
yet pre-financial crisis days such things were considered completely normal….and the cycle of business and life keeps turning.
I’ve been asked ‘what’s the point’ of business and life many times.
And my response is “Yeah”