Economic forecasting is one of the few jobs where you can be wrong 85% of the time and still make the big bucks.

submitter: Seriously, people get paid for this?

somebody has to give the speculators a reason to play.

We are commodities brokers, William.


Now, what are commodities?


Commodities are agricultural products.


Like coffee, that you had for breakfast.



Wheat, which is used to make bread.



Pork bellies, which is used to make bacon,



which you might find in a bacon,
lettuce and tomato sandwich.



Then there are other commodities like...
frozen orange juice...and gold.



Though, of course, gold
doesn't grow on trees like oranges.



- Clear so far?
- Yeah.



Good, William.
Now, some of our clients are speculating



that the price of gold
will rise in the future.



We have other clients who are speculating
that the price of gold is going to fall.



They've placed their orders with us



and we buy or sell their gold for them.



Tell him the good part.



The good part is that no matter whether
our clients make money,



or lose money,
Duke & Duke get the commissions.



Well, what do you think, Valentine?



Sounds to me like you guys
are a couple of bookies.

Dancin_In_Anson: Sounds to me like you guys
are a couple of bookies.

this

And everyone has a share.

Dancin_In_Anson: Sounds to me like you guys
are a couple of bookies.

I don't know what that's from, and that is probably reason for abuse, but did you have to post like Bauer?

As for oil, I have as much credentials as being right on financial predictions as these analysts, since I am almost always wrong, so I predict minimum $100/barrel oil by Christmas.

Seriously, people get paid for this?

Yeah. In oil furtures.

*shrugs*

Oil's well that ends well.

It's a shame canyoneer isn't a TFer. He could've gotten a 5-hour jump on telling us how stupid we all are compared with him.

Guess we'll have to wait until this hits the main page.

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: *shrugs*

Oil's well that ends well.


You're a gas, TMLO.

this one is usually just for GaryPDX but I'll make an exception:

Remember: these are only crude estimates.

Political commentators get paid, too. Even when some of them have predictive records that are worse than chance.

Dollar weak, oil expensive. Dollar strong, oil cheap.
Pretty easy.

GAT_00: I don't know what that's from

That movie came out before you were born.

ScottMpls: Economists and meteorologists are two groups of professionals who get paid to be wrong.

Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful.

The_Sponge: You're a gas, TMLO.

I PITY DA FUEL WHO SAYS OTHERWISE!

MindStalker: Yea but the value of the dollar didn't double when oil fell. While I agree a lot of it is still due to manipulation.

Yes, and global demand also does have something to do with it.

I predict that oil will, at sometime in the near future, be priced at $65.32 per barrel. Also, barrels full of monkeys will be priced slightly lower at $64.56 per barrel.