u/Least-Whereas-1358

I feel like the stock market is overvalued right now, and the risk/reward isn't there for me personally. Most companies are experimenting with and overspending on AI without any clear ROI yet. The same logic applies to chip and memory stocks, prices are up only because of huge demand driven by data center buildouts and hyperscalers competing with each other, but the moment any one of them slows down capex, those order books get canceled fast, and the premiums they're charging will vanish.

I feel like Meta's plan to sell/release compute is a sign that capex is going to slow soon, and that AI demand or revenue isn't going to match what companies expected or spent toward. I also feel that AI token demand is bit inflated by services automatically summarizing stuff, rather than actual usage (Word summarizing document without any prompt or meeting summaries). Another thesis that I have is that there is some accounting math/lag going in earnings calculation, where the NVDA or memory companies are counting their revenues and profits immediately but hyperscalers are not expensing it (so their true impacts of spending is not yet visible in net earnings, same thing played out in dot-com time). For now I'm parking my money in CDs and booking some profits. How is everyone else preserving capital or hedging right now?

On a separate note, I feel like most of us have never actually been through a real stock market crash. The COVID downturn barely lasted a year or two, same with the tariff sell-off, which lasted a month or less. The last real crash was 2000/2007-08, and it took 13 years to fully recover for dot com and 7 years for housing bubble and the current scale is so much higher. For those who lived through an actual crash, what are you doing differently?

I feel like the stock market is overvalued right now, and the risk/reward isn't there for me personally. Most companies are experimenting with and overspending on AI without any clear ROI yet. The same logic applies to chip and memory stocks, prices are up only because of huge demand driven by data center buildouts and hyperscalers competing with each other, but the moment any one of them slows down capex, those order books get canceled fast, and the premiums they're charging will vanish.

I feel like Meta's plan to sell/release compute is a sign that capex is going to slow soon, and that AI demand or revenue isn't going to match what companies expected or spent toward. I also feel that AI token demand is bit inflated by services automatically summarizing stuff, rather than actual usage (Word summarizing document without any prompt or meeting summaries). Another thesis that I have is that there is some accounting math/lag going in earnings calculation, where the NVDA or memory companies are counting their revenues and profits immediately but hyperscalers are not expensing it (so their true impacts of spending is not yet visible in net earnings, same thing played out in dot-com time). For now I'm parking my money in CDs and booking some profits. How is everyone else preserving capital or hedging right now?

On a separate note, I feel like most of us have never actually been through a real stock market crash. The COVID downturn barely lasted a year or two, same with the tariff sell-off, which lasted a month or less. The last real crash was 2000/2007-08, and it took 13 years to fully recover for dot com and 7 years for housing bubble and the current scale is so much higher. For those who lived through an actual crash, what are you doing differently?

Planning a surprise proposal in Crested Butte during the last weekend of June and trying to decide between two photographers. Would love some honest input from people who've done this.

Option 1 is a local Gunnison-based photographer, very familiar with the area and has 2 years of experience. Stronger with guided/posed couples shoots than pure candid work.

Option 2 is more established and 3.5x the price of Option 1, but only available June 28th.

For context it's just the two of us, relatively short session, and I'm planning a separate family photoshoot later so I don't need anything too elaborate.

A few questions:

- What did you guys spend on a couples/proposal session in Crested Butte? Was it worth it?

- What do photographers in the area typically charge for a short session like this?

- Is there a point where the price jump is genuinely worth it or does it hit a point of diminishing returns?

- Any photographers you'd personally recommend who might still be available last weekend of June?

Appreciate any advice — trying to make a decision quickly since the date is coming up fast!

PS: Used AI to structure and language correct the post.

I'm helping my parents obtain their first passports and have run into a situation that I'm hoping someone here has experience with.

Back in March, we applied through a passport broker. During the appointment, the application was put on hold because there was a surname spelling mismatch between my parents' documents. We were asked to get the supporting documents corrected.

It took nearly two months to get all the corrections completed. Since my parents are elderly and not well educated, I wanted to make sure everything was accurate before proceeding. We decided to submit a fresh application rather than continue with the old one.

We again used the same broker, but there were multiple mistakes in the draft application. After several corrections, the broker became unresponsive for over a week. Frustrated with the delays, I submitted a new application myself to ensure everything was entered correctly.

The new application has now been put on hold because the original application from March was never formally closed. The passport office has asked us to provide a closure letter and explanation letter for the previous application.

The broker claims he has submitted a closure request for the old file, but he is vague about timelines and whether we will receive a closure confirmation letter.

A few questions:

1. How long does an online passport file closure request typically take?
2. Once the file is closed, is a closure letter automatically issued, or do we need to specifically request one?
3. The file belongs to RPO Vijayawada, but my parents attended their appointment at the Tirupati PSK. Can they visit Tirupati PSK to obtain a closure confirmation letter, or does everything have to be handled through RPO Vijayawada?
4. Is there any way to expedite the closure process?
5. Has anyone successfully resolved this through email or Passport Seva grievances without visiting the RPO?
6. What is the fastest way to obtain proof of closure so we can submit it for the current application?

Any guidance from people who have dealt with RPO Vijayawada or similar situations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.