Orinoco outflow II...

---

Milosevic, Mugabe and Maduro: 3M but not the Scotch tape or Post-it kind; the Malign Marxist Manifesto kind. The first two Communist followers had hyperinflation and survived in power; the latter Communist follower has very high inflation (not yet hyper?**) and is surviving, mainly through communication hegemony and legal government assisted looting to 'guarantee that everybody has a plasma television and the latest-generation fridge'. At present, the implied annual inflation rate is between 250 and 300% and [edit] between a fifth and a third of all products are not even available in the shops (yes, think about that). The World Bank "Doing Business" rankings for 2014 (online rankings, full report pdf file) puts Venezuela 181st out of 189, dismal, unbelievable and below the likes of Haiti, the aforementioned Zimbabwe and Afghanistan (164th).



** The "Hyperinflation or not?" row is interesting: Steve H. Hanke has his own reasoning and excepted definition but he also has those who disagree and cite other definitions. To me it seems a moot point as whatever the definition of hyperinflation, everyone agrees that Venezuela is in deep trouble and sinking fast:"So, don’t hold your breath waiting for an uprising in Venezuela because of high inflation and economic misery. Short of $50 per barrel oil, the Titanic called Venezuela might stay afloat for longer than you think, before it inevitably sinks".

Certainly worth reading Steve H. Hanke, The Troubled Currencies Project, Cato Institute - Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved on 12/31/2013 from http://www.cato.org/research/troubled-currencies-project. (click on image).

Orinoco outflow II...

---

Milosevic, Mugabe and Maduro: 3M but not the Scotch tape or Post-it kind; the Malign Marxist Manifesto kind. The first two Communist followers had hyperinflation and survived in power; the latter Communist follower has very high inflation (not yet hyper?**) and is surviving, mainly through communication hegemony and legal government assisted looting to 'guarantee that everybody has a plasma television and the latest-generation fridge'. At present, the implied annual inflation rate is between 250 and 300% and [edit] between a fifth and a third of all products are not even available in the shops (yes, think about that). The World Bank "Doing Business" rankings for 2014 (online rankings, full report pdf file) puts Venezuela 181st out of 189, dismal, unbelievable and below the likes of Haiti, the aforementioned Zimbabwe and Afghanistan (164th).

** The "Hyperinflation or not?" row is interesting: Steve H. Hanke has his own reasoning and excepted definition but he also has those who disagree and cite other definitions. To me it seems a moot point as whatever the definition of hyperinflation, everyone agrees that Venezuela is in deep trouble and sinking fast:"So, don’t hold your breath waiting for an uprising in Venezuela because of high inflation and economic misery. Short of $50 per barrel oil, the Titanic called Venezuela might stay afloat for longer than you think, before it inevitably sinks". Certainly worth reading Steve H. Hanke, The Troubled Currencies Project, Cato Institute - Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved on 12/31/2013 from http://www.cato.org/research/troubled-currencies-project. (click on image).

Octahedral obeisance

---

Uplifting quotes ("Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough"), famous lyrics ("I'll buy you a diamond ring, my friend If it makes you feel alright"), marketing slogans ("Diamonds are Forever") all with one thing in common. There's even the London slang: "he's a diamond geezer"; except now it's not just geezers: now anyone can be a diamond, no, literally! Hat-tip: James Halling at The Commentator. I am assuming turning dead loved-ones into Remembrance diamonds isn't 'the done thing' or maybe even illegal in the UK as it isn't even listed in Algordanza's website. Or maybe the idea's been put on ice.



(The crystal habit of a diamond is octahedral)

Octahedral obeisance

---

Uplifting quotes ("Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough"), famous lyrics ("I'll buy you a diamond ring, my friend If it makes you feel alright"), marketing slogans ("Diamonds are Forever") all with one thing in common. There's even the London slang: "he's a diamond geezer"; except now it's not just geezers: now anyone can be a diamond, no, literally! Hat-tip: James Halling at The Commentator. I am assuming turning dead loved-ones into Remembrance diamonds isn't 'the done thing' or maybe even illegal in the UK as it isn't even listed in Algordanza's website. Or maybe the idea's been put on ice.

(The crystal habit of a diamond is octahedral)

Our oblectation...

---

Talk of floods and cold and climate change and energy bills etc is one thing (and certainly a bummer when it affects you personally) but the truth is that the good news far outweighs the bad...FAR outweighs: "It’s a story that no one organisation or government can take credit for – and a story that doesn't particularly suit anyone’s agenda. But the story is there, for those with an eye to see it." Fraser Nelson at The Spectator on "The biggest shocker of 2013? That it really is a wonderful world": deaths from disease, war, extreme weather etc are minuscule compare to previous decades mainly due to money and spreading it about 'via a system known by its detractors as global capitalism'.



Still - pissing on any fireworks that good news may have launched - will this only accelerate us towards our end?



Update: ...and this won't help!

Our oblectation...

---

Talk of floods and cold and climate change and energy bills etc is one thing (and certainly a bummer when it affects you personally) but the truth is that the good news far outweighs the bad...FAR outweighs: "It’s a story that no one organisation or government can take credit for – and a story that doesn't particularly suit anyone’s agenda. But the story is there, for those with an eye to see it." Fraser Nelson at The Spectator on "The biggest shocker of 2013? That it really is a wonderful world": deaths from disease, war, extreme weather etc are minuscule compare to previous decades mainly due to money and spreading it about 'via a system known by its detractors as global capitalism'.

Still - pissing on any fireworks that good news may have launched - will this only accelerate us towards our end?

Update: ...and this won't help!

Ovine observance...

---

Whilst shepherds watched...Craig writes "Did you know that only one Christmas carol was legally permitted to be sung in the Church of England following the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660? ...That carol was When Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night." No, I didn't know that nor most of the rest that he tells us summarising Jeremy Summerly's 'A Cause for Carolling' on BBC Radio 4. An excellent post and ironic when you see the raison d'être of his blog. "Only in 1782 was the legal monopoly of When Shepherds Watched revoked as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Come all ye Faithful joined it in the licit embrace of the Anglican communion."  The carol, really a hymn - 'Song of the Angels at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour' - based on the Gospel of Luke (Luke II. from v. 8. to v. 15) in which angels tell shepherds about the birth of Jesus; the words, written by poet Nahum Tate, appeared in Tate and Nicholas Brady's 1700 supplement to their New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696 ('before 1700 only the Psalms of David were permitted to be sung').

...Good-will, henceforth, from heav'n to men, 

        " begin and never cease.

Ovine observance...

---

Whilst shepherds watched...Craig writes "Did you know that only one Christmas carol was legally permitted to be sung in the Church of England following the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660? ...That carol was When Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night." No, I didn't know that nor most of the rest that he tells us summarising Jeremy Summerly's 'A Cause for Carolling' on BBC Radio 4. An excellent post and ironic when you see the raison d'être of his blog. "Only in 1782 was the legal monopoly of When Shepherds Watched revoked as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Come all ye Faithful joined it in the licit embrace of the Anglican communion."  The carol, really a hymn - 'Song of the Angels at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour' - based on the Gospel of Luke (Luke II. from v. 8. to v. 15) in which angels tell shepherds about the birth of Jesus; the words, written by poet Nahum Tate, appeared in Tate and Nicholas Brady's 1700 supplement to their New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696 ('before 1700 only the Psalms of David were permitted to be sung').

...Good-will, henceforth, from heav'n to men, 
        " begin and never cease.

Obsidional omissions...

---

When the truth is secondary - a phenomenon becoming increasingly more prevalent (especially with the BBC, IMHO); a situation that any 'normal' person should be uncomfortable with; without further comment from me but linking to Christopher Booker in the Sunday Telegraph ("Why Mandela owed a huge debt to Thatcher": FW de Klerk) and to EU Referendum (more discussion; "anything which strays from the "narrative" is ignored, while the bubble-dwellers drown out the truth with their prattle").

Obsidional omissions...

---

When the truth is secondary - a phenomenon becoming increasingly more prevalent (especially with the BBC, IMHO); a situation that any 'normal' person should be uncomfortable with; without further comment from me but linking to Christopher Booker in the Sunday Telegraph ("Why Mandela owed a huge debt to Thatcher": FW de Klerk) and to EU Referendum (more discussion; "anything which strays from the "narrative" is ignored, while the bubble-dwellers drown out the truth with their prattle").

Only Obama's olinguito...

---

The story behind this famous selfie is HERE

Last month the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013 was declared as "selfie". The word has become more popular with the ubiquitousness of smartphones but has in fact been around for over a decade (yes, before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter existed). Barely a month later the site Selfies at funerals closes up shop because Obama just put the cherry on the icing on the cake. The main reasons why the picture of Obama's selfie stands out are many as a great article in the New York Post makes clear and few that pay any attention at all can doubt Obama's narcissitic tendancy: "Days before the funeral selfie, the White House tweeted out a Pearl Harbor remembrance that consisted of a photo of Obama laying a wreath. Six days before that he honored Rosa Parks by tweeting out a picture of himself sitting on the bus she desegregated. Nine days before that he honored the anniversary of JFK’s death with a tweet of himself looking at the fallen president’s White House portrait." [Link NYP]. Santiago Lyon, vice president and director of photography at The Associated Press has another word for it: "Until the White House revisits its draconian restrictions on photojournalists’ access to the president, information-savvy citizens, too, would be wise to treat those handout photos for what they are: propaganda." [Link, NYT].



For those interested the Word of the Year shortlist (see first link above) was as follows: bedroom tax (the BBC's favourite); binge-watch, bitcoin, olinguito (Ows' favourite), schmeat (WTF?), showrooming and twerk (any perv's favourite).

Only Obama's olinguito...

---

The story behind this famous selfie is HERE

Last month the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013 was declared as "selfie". The word has become more popular with the ubiquitousness of smartphones but has in fact been around for over a decade (yes, before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter existed). Barely a month later the site Selfies at funerals closes up shop because Obama just put the cherry on the icing on the cake. The main reasons why the picture of Obama's selfie stands out are many as a great article in the New York Post makes clear and few that pay any attention at all can doubt Obama's narcissitic tendancy: "Days before the funeral selfie, the White House tweeted out a Pearl Harbor remembrance that consisted of a photo of Obama laying a wreath. Six days before that he honored Rosa Parks by tweeting out a picture of himself sitting on the bus she desegregated. Nine days before that he honored the anniversary of JFK’s death with a tweet of himself looking at the fallen president’s White House portrait." [Link NYP]. Santiago Lyon, vice president and director of photography at The Associated Press has another word for it: "Until the White House revisits its draconian restrictions on photojournalists’ access to the president, information-savvy citizens, too, would be wise to treat those handout photos for what they are: propaganda." [Link, NYT].

For those interested the Word of the Year shortlist (see first link above) was as follows: bedroom tax (the BBC's favourite); binge-watch, bitcoin, olinguito (Ows' favourite), schmeat (WTF?), showrooming and twerk (any perv's favourite).

OMG V...

---

I know there's a year and a half to go but based on current polling:

Please people...WAKE UP! In the UK's crazy rotten borough system just this 6% lead to Labour would give them a 130 seat majority! You know it's unfair: 2005 Tony Blair 35% of votes = 355 seats; 2010 David Cameron 36% of a higher turn-out = 306 seats. Updated Sat 8 a.m.: OK, OK, I missed this yesterday but it would still lead to a massive working majority for Labour!

OMG V...

---

I know there's a year and a half to go but based on current polling:

Please people...WAKE UP! In the UK's crazy rotten borough system just this 6% lead to Labour would give them a 130 seat majority! You know it's unfair: 2005 Tony Blair 35% of votes = 355 seats; 2010 David Cameron 36% of a higher turn-out = 306 seats. Updated Sat 8 a.m.: OK, OK, I missed this yesterday but it would still lead to a massive working majority for Labour!

Observing OIC Observatory...

---

I could add 'Orwellian' to that title. My comment in the post yesterday prompted this post. Yesterday ended the presentation to the 40th Council of Foreign Ministers the 6th OIC Observatory report on Islamophobia [report:pdf]. You can make up your own mind about Islamophobia (a) here or (b) here (pdf). I tend towards the (b) link and concur with the dozen writers (including Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali) who a few years ago - after this incident - declared "After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global threat: Islamism...". Soeren Kern at Gateway The Gatestone Institute highlights a key point to the OIC report: "The common thread that binds the entire document together is the OIC's repeated insistence that the main culprit responsible for "the institutionalization of Islamophobia" in Western countries is freedom of speech." It is not an exaggeration to say that when you read the report (if you don't fancy that just read the two pages of conclusions and recommendations, pages 33 and 34; everything after that is annexes anyway) what Soeren says is true and highlights a massive contradiction, from the OIC: "Many distorted facts and ill conceived ideas about Islam... ...include the perception that Islam is linked to terror; that it is intolerant of other religious beliefs, that its values and practices are incompatible with modern democratic systems; that it favours repression of freedom of expression and undermining human rights and other misperceptions." Errm, can anyone point out how any of that [edited 4pm] is distorting facts or ill-conceiving something? And then their recommendations in the report: their solution to stop people thinking they want to repress freedom of expression is by repressing freedom of expression! FFS.  A suggestion OIC: take one step back and look at the causes of "Islamophobia".

Observing OIC Observatory...

---

I could add 'Orwellian' to that title. My comment in the post yesterday prompted this post. Yesterday ended the presentation to the 40th Council of Foreign Ministers the 6th OIC Observatory report on Islamophobia [report:pdf]. You can make up your own mind about Islamophobia (a) here or (b) here (pdf). I tend towards the (b) link and concur with the dozen writers (including Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali) who a few years ago - after this incident - declared "After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global threat: Islamism...". Soeren Kern at Gateway The Gatestone Institute highlights a key point to the OIC report: "The common thread that binds the entire document together is the OIC's repeated insistence that the main culprit responsible for "the institutionalization of Islamophobia" in Western countries is freedom of speech." It is not an exaggeration to say that when you read the report (if you don't fancy that just read the two pages of conclusions and recommendations, pages 33 and 34; everything after that is annexes anyway) what Soeren says is true and highlights a massive contradiction, from the OIC: "Many distorted facts and ill conceived ideas about Islam... ...include the perception that Islam is linked to terror; that it is intolerant of other religious beliefs, that its values and practices are incompatible with modern democratic systems; that it favours repression of freedom of expression and undermining human rights and other misperceptions." Errm, can anyone point out how any of that [edited 4pm] is distorting facts or ill-conceiving something? And then their recommendations in the report: their solution to stop people thinking they want to repress freedom of expression is by repressing freedom of expression! FFS.  A suggestion OIC: take one step back and look at the causes of "Islamophobia".

Olympus...

---

...is falling. Anyway 11th December is UN designated International Mountain Day [link]: Earth's mountains - "Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future" - cover 27 percent of the land surface and 'play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth'. "In particular, mountains provide freshwater, energy and food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. However, mountains also have a high incidence of poverty and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters." Excellent, the UN can be a force that is good.



Yesterday was UN designated Human Rights Day, the 20th anniversary [link]; however, only a couple of weeks ago they proclaimed 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People [link], not a day, a YEAR. This was decided at a meeting where UN approved Jewish groups were banned from attending. Last year U.N. General Assembly adopted 22 resolutions on Israel and 4 on the rest of the world combined [UN Watch]; last month alone there were a nearly a dozen more, FFS, it is getting pathetic: the UN can be a force that is not good.



Set up with such lofty and fine ideals and with a number of specialised agencies (WHO, FAO, UNESCO...) it has to avoid becoming completely tarnished yet the UNGA seems hell bent on falling further from the heady heights of the objectives on which it was founded.



Off topic aside: a minute ago it was 9:10, 11/12/13...yippee. 

Olympus...

---

...is falling. Anyway 11th December is UN designated International Mountain Day [link]: Earth's mountains - "Mountains - Key to a Sustainable Future" - cover 27 percent of the land surface and 'play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth'. "In particular, mountains provide freshwater, energy and food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. However, mountains also have a high incidence of poverty and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters." Excellent, the UN can be a force that is good.

Yesterday was UN designated Human Rights Day, the 20th anniversary [link]; however, only a couple of weeks ago they proclaimed 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People [link], not a day, a YEAR. This was decided at a meeting where UN approved Jewish groups were banned from attending. Last year U.N. General Assembly adopted 22 resolutions on Israel and 4 on the rest of the world combined [UN Watch]; last month alone there were a nearly a dozen more, FFS, it is getting pathetic: the UN can be a force that is not good.

Set up with such lofty and fine ideals and with a number of specialised agencies (WHO, FAO, UNESCO...) it has to avoid becoming completely tarnished yet the UNGA seems hell bent on falling further from the heady heights of the objectives on which it was founded.

Off topic aside: a minute ago it was 9:10, 11/12/13...yippee. 

Objuragtion of once...

---

Snouts in the trough: the pigs in the image are happily eating their daily ration, heads down, no interest in what is around them; you can't think ill of the pigs for that, it's all they get. Those in parliament also have their heads in the trough with no interest in what is around them, but they want more, much more. The 'once' in the title is really "on-ce", eleven, an 11% pay-rise for UK Members of Parliament. "A Whitehall source said the 'across the board' reform would not cost taxpayers more. Funding for the salary increase would come from cuts to MPs' pension schemes that go far deeper than published proposals" [Link] PAH! That's OK then is it? I doubt many will see it that way and it is also a FUCKING LIE. There are too any MPs and they are mostly liars, thieves, corrupt, useless self-serving fuck-wits (no, really). Don't get me wrong, any good MP deserves a salary of 74K (£6167/month), more, make it higher... but they also claim 36K on personal expenses (£3000/month) and I doubt very much whether they penny-pinch about how and what they spend it on. We're not finished: PLUS they also get over 114K for staff expenses (£9525/month); you guessed it, 24% (155 out of 650) of them employ direct family members; how many of the rest employ friends and acquaintances probably not suited or best for these jobs? Who checks who is getting paid what? Those figures are for the year 2012/13 ending April this year; they are 7% HIGHER than the year before. Those nice members are really holding back, aren't they? Of COURSE it is costing taxpayers more.



Update: just to be clear: those personal and staff expenses are of course average figures; there are saints and sinners.

Objuragtion of once...

---

Snouts in the trough: the pigs in the image are happily eating their daily ration, heads down, no interest in what is around them; you can't think ill of the pigs for that, it's all they get. Those in parliament also have their heads in the trough with no interest in what is around them, but they want more, much more. The 'once' in the title is really "on-ce", eleven, an 11% pay-rise for UK Members of Parliament. "A Whitehall source said the 'across the board' reform would not cost taxpayers more. Funding for the salary increase would come from cuts to MPs' pension schemes that go far deeper than published proposals" [Link] PAH! That's OK then is it? I doubt many will see it that way and it is also a FUCKING LIE. There are too any MPs and they are mostly liars, thieves, corrupt, useless self-serving fuck-wits (no, really). Don't get me wrong, any good MP deserves a salary of 74K (£6167/month), more, make it higher... but they also claim 36K on personal expenses (£3000/month) and I doubt very much whether they penny-pinch about how and what they spend it on. We're not finished: PLUS they also get over 114K for staff expenses (£9525/month); you guessed it, 24% (155 out of 650) of them employ direct family members; how many of the rest employ friends and acquaintances probably not suited or best for these jobs? Who checks who is getting paid what? Those figures are for the year 2012/13 ending April this year; they are 7% HIGHER than the year before. Those nice members are really holding back, aren't they? Of COURSE it is costing taxpayers more.

Update: just to be clear: those personal and staff expenses are of course average figures; there are saints and sinners.

Obit overshadows Osborne's optimistic outlook...

---

No disrespect to Mandela but enough is being said elsewhere... everywhere, so I'll keep schtum [edit: 9pm] although if you have had enough of the fawning pap being spewed out in most media please read this from Charles Crawford. Yesterday had other news: the UK Chancellor George Osborne gave his Autumn Statement (Link: PDF) to Parliament on the state of the UK economy and the Coalition government's future plans. At a glance things are looking good despite BBC Peston's ludicrously negative report (and coordinated comments); he was presumably one of those BBC journalists prepared in advance (Link: PDF) by the assumed lefty (pinch of salt) IFS; (no doubt more from them on the BBC later ([edit]...later: haha, told you). The Taxpayers' Alliance briefing is broadly supportive (Link:PDF) but think Osborne 'must do more'; a key is the continued cutting the number and complexity of taxes: they say Tolley’s Tax Guide is now over 17,000 pages long. Particularly interesting is the TPA tax tracker: "Since the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, 509 tax hikes and 209 tax cuts have been announced". Two articles that IMHO are worth reading: Kamal Ahmed in the DT ("Be grateful that George Osborne did not unveil a Brownite master plan") and I also liked Rafael Behr's article in the NS: "...the macroeconomic indicators fuelling Conservative levity conceal real pain that will cost the government votes".

Obit overshadows Osborne's optimistic outlook...

---

No disrespect to Mandela but enough is being said elsewhere... everywhere, so I'll keep schtum [edit: 9pm] although if you have had enough of the fawning pap being spewed out in most media please read this from Charles Crawford. Yesterday had other news: the UK Chancellor George Osborne gave his Autumn Statement (Link: PDF) to Parliament on the state of the UK economy and the Coalition government's future plans. At a glance things are looking good despite BBC Peston's ludicrously negative report (and coordinated comments); he was presumably one of those BBC journalists prepared in advance (Link: PDF) by the assumed lefty (pinch of salt) IFS; (no doubt more from them on the BBC later ([edit]...later: haha, told you). The Taxpayers' Alliance briefing is broadly supportive (Link:PDF) but think Osborne 'must do more'; a key is the continued cutting the number and complexity of taxes: they say Tolley’s Tax Guide is now over 17,000 pages long. Particularly interesting is the TPA tax tracker: "Since the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, 509 tax hikes and 209 tax cuts have been announced". Two articles that IMHO are worth reading: Kamal Ahmed in the DT ("Be grateful that George Osborne did not unveil a Brownite master plan") and I also liked Rafael Behr's article in the NS: "...the macroeconomic indicators fuelling Conservative levity conceal real pain that will cost the government votes".

Octonary oblivion...

---

Happy Thanksgiving to my US family and friends and of course all of our transatlantic cousins as well. Tommorrow is Black Friday and no doubt billions will be spent in the shops. One man who won't be celebrating Thanksgiving - probably because he's Welsh and in Wales and is more worried about looking like a turkey rather than eating one tonight - is James Howells from Newport who is desperately digging through rubbish to find his old computer hard drive which he threw away earlier this year. The reason? It contains 7,500 bitcoins now (Thursday 6:50pm GMT) worth over 8 million US dollars. Not quite in the Top 100 but he'd better get a move on: yesterday Zerohedge posted some scary charts that could point to a not unfamiliar fall. And, in agreement with ZH, as one comment HERE says, most Bitcoin owners are just speculating ON the currency and not actually using it as a currency. That spells "bubble".




Update: bursting...

Octonary oblivion...

---

Happy Thanksgiving to my US family and friends and of course all of our transatlantic cousins as well. Tommorrow is Black Friday and no doubt billions will be spent in the shops. One man who won't be celebrating Thanksgiving - probably because he's Welsh and in Wales and is more worried about looking like a turkey rather than eating one tonight - is James Howells from Newport who is desperately digging through rubbish to find his old computer hard drive which he threw away earlier this year. The reason? It contains 7,500 bitcoins now (Thursday 6:50pm GMT) worth over 8 million US dollars. Not quite in the Top 100 but he'd better get a move on: yesterday Zerohedge posted some scary charts that could point to a not unfamiliar fall. And, in agreement with ZH, as one comment HERE says, most Bitcoin owners are just speculating ON the currency and not actually using it as a currency. That spells "bubble".

Update: bursting...

One outing...

---

BOO: WTO MFN (pdf) UK > EU, OK? [Link]




Update: and who bloody cares if we're called the nasty country?! Mr. Laszlo Andor please just fuck off! Look at the graph opposite and tell us where you think the blue line will be heading come January 2014? "The point is that the British public has not been told all the truth" you say; too bloody right we haven't! And you compound that by spouting utter shit. "We would need a more accurate presentation of the reality, not under pressure, not under hysteria, as sometimes happens in the UK. I would insist on presenting the truth, not false assumptions."...look at the graph (just Eastern European arrivals) Laszlo, ask anyone in the country, read how nobody could/can believe we're such a bloody pushover: "In 2004, the Home Office absurdly claimed just 13,000 would arrive. As it turned out, more than one million settled here over subsequent years".

One outing...

---

BOO: WTO MFN (pdf) UK > EU, OK? [Link]

Update: and who bloody cares if we're called the nasty country?! Mr. Laszlo Andor please just fuck off! Look at the graph opposite and tell us where you think the blue line will be heading come January 2014? "The point is that the British public has not been told all the truth" you say; too bloody right we haven't! And you compound that by spouting utter shit. "We would need a more accurate presentation of the reality, not under pressure, not under hysteria, as sometimes happens in the UK. I would insist on presenting the truth, not false assumptions."...look at the graph (just Eastern European arrivals) Laszlo, ask anyone in the country, read how nobody could/can believe we're such a bloody pushover: "In 2004, the Home Office absurdly claimed just 13,000 would arrive. As it turned out, more than one million settled here over subsequent years".

Offing oldies...

---

Is the government offing oldies by allowing thousands to die from increased energy bills (ooh those evil energy companies)? No. Of course, let's do what we have to do to reduce the number of winter excess deaths: we can and are getting this number down but let's not get carried away with silly headlines about the estimated 30,000 + excess winter deaths occurring in England and Wales in 2012/13 and that it is a '29% increase'. The figure may be accurate but the context isn't given the graph (click to enlarge or see all figures HERE [pdf]). The ONS summary states: "In common with other countries, in England and Wales more people die in the winter than in the summer. This statistical bulletin presents provisional figures of excess winter deaths...  Historical trends from 1950/51 onwards are also presented for comparison. Figures are presented by sex, age, area and cause of death. Figures on temperature and influenza incidence are also provided to add context to the mortality figures."

Offing oldies...

---

Is the government offing oldies by allowing thousands to die from increased energy bills (ooh those evil energy companies)? No. Of course, let's do what we have to do to reduce the number of winter excess deaths: we can and are getting this number down but let's not get carried away with silly headlines about the estimated 30,000 + excess winter deaths occurring in England and Wales in 2012/13 and that it is a '29% increase'. The figure may be accurate but the context isn't given the graph (click to enlarge or see all figures HERE [pdf]). The ONS summary states: "In common with other countries, in England and Wales more people die in the winter than in the summer. This statistical bulletin presents provisional figures of excess winter deaths...  Historical trends from 1950/51 onwards are also presented for comparison. Figures are presented by sex, age, area and cause of death. Figures on temperature and influenza incidence are also provided to add context to the mortality figures."

Overwhelmingly of one...

---

...community. Yes, overwhelmingly of one community. ..." [he] knew what he was saying and was right to say it. By all means ask him to explain, but he shouldn't have to apologise"; why has Dominic Grieve apologised? " Hat-tip to Thoughtful: "So that must mean that the Electoral commission are also racist' and must be forced to apologise for telling the truth" because HERE (pdf) in their Electoral Fraud in the UK: Evidence and Issues paper comes the following:

"There are strongly held views, based in particular on reported first-hand experience by some campaigners and elected representatives in particular, that electoral fraud is more likely to be committed by or in support of candidates standing for election in areas which are largely or predominately populated by some South Asian communities, specifically those with roots in parts of Pakistan or Bangladesh. These concerns reflect issues also highlighted by a small number of previous studies of political and electoral participation. These studies have suggested that extended family and community networks may have been mobilised to secure the support of large numbers of electors in some areas, effectively constituting a ‘block vote’ – although this does not necessarily involve electoral fraud. They also argue that the wider availability of postal voting in Great Britain since 2001 may have increased the risk of electoral fraud associated with this approach, as the greater safeguards of secrecy provided in polling stations are removed." [my emphasis]

Thoughful's list of clearly 'South Asian' names led me to dig further: the government's own website: "Postal voting and electoral fraud 2001-09 - Commons Library Standard Note", HERE where you can download their pdf file: you will read (part 8, Chronology) that there have been at least 42 convictions for electoral fraud in the UK in the period 2000–2007; here are those named in the government's own paper: Mohammed Hussain, Mohammed Choudhary, Ahmad Ali, Mozaquir Ali, Manzoor Hussain, Dessie Stewart, Jamshed Khan, Iftkhar Hussain, Khurshid Ahmed, Sajid Mehmood, Mohammed Khan, Naseem Akhtar, Adeel Hanif , Maqbool Hussein, Tariq Mahmood, Haroon Rashid (later cleared) Jamshed Khan, Reis Khan, Eshaq Khan, Mohammed Anzal Anwar, Norman Whitlock, Mohammed Chaudhary Saghir, Abdul Razaq, Raja Akhtar, Mohammed Khaliq , John Hall, Nawaz Khan, Ian Withers (…of Antrim was fined 1p; he had refused to give his national insurance number and was arrested for electoral fraud), Mahboob Khan, Basharat Khan, Arshad Raja, Altaf Khan, Gulnawaz Khan, Anisur Rahman...do you see what it is yet? It is a cross party problem BUT it IS clearly a problem and overwhelmingly within ONE community!



Pakistani MPs and MEPs from all parties have [edit] complained about what Dominic Grieve said, plus Mohammed Shafiq (chief exec Ramadhan Foundation and usually sensible) said: "Mr. Grieve's mentioned one incident in Slough which was dealt with by the courts and had not produced any further evidence of an endemic problem with corruption." [Link] Jeez, I doubt washing in the Pool of Siloam would help such blindness.

Overwhelmingly of one...

---

...community. Yes, overwhelmingly of one community. ..." [he] knew what he was saying and was right to say it. By all means ask him to explain, but he shouldn't have to apologise"; why has Dominic Grieve apologised? " Hat-tip to Thoughtful: "So that must mean that the Electoral commission are also racist' and must be forced to apologise for telling the truth" because HERE (pdf) in their Electoral Fraud in the UK: Evidence and Issues paper comes the following:

"There are strongly held views, based in particular on reported first-hand experience by some campaigners and elected representatives in particular, that electoral fraud is more likely to be committed by or in support of candidates standing for election in areas which are largely or predominately populated by some South Asian communities, specifically those with roots in parts of Pakistan or Bangladesh. These concerns reflect issues also highlighted by a small number of previous studies of political and electoral participation. These studies have suggested that extended family and community networks may have been mobilised to secure the support of large numbers of electors in some areas, effectively constituting a ‘block vote’ – although this does not necessarily involve electoral fraud. They also argue that the wider availability of postal voting in Great Britain since 2001 may have increased the risk of electoral fraud associated with this approach, as the greater safeguards of secrecy provided in polling stations are removed." [my emphasis]

Thoughful's list of clearly 'South Asian' names led me to dig further: the government's own website: "Postal voting and electoral fraud 2001-09 - Commons Library Standard Note", HERE where you can download their pdf file: you will read (part 8, Chronology) that there have been at least 42 convictions for electoral fraud in the UK in the period 2000–2007; here are those named in the government's own paper: Mohammed Hussain, Mohammed Choudhary, Ahmad Ali, Mozaquir Ali, Manzoor Hussain, Dessie Stewart, Jamshed Khan, Iftkhar Hussain, Khurshid Ahmed, Sajid Mehmood, Mohammed Khan, Naseem Akhtar, Adeel Hanif , Maqbool Hussein, Tariq Mahmood, Haroon Rashid (later cleared) Jamshed Khan, Reis Khan, Eshaq Khan, Mohammed Anzal Anwar, Norman Whitlock, Mohammed Chaudhary Saghir, Abdul Razaq, Raja Akhtar, Mohammed Khaliq , John Hall, Nawaz Khan, Ian Withers (…of Antrim was fined 1p; he had refused to give his national insurance number and was arrested for electoral fraud), Mahboob Khan, Basharat Khan, Arshad Raja, Altaf Khan, Gulnawaz Khan, Anisur Rahman...do you see what it is yet? It is a cross party problem BUT it IS clearly a problem and overwhelmingly within ONE community!

Pakistani MPs and MEPs from all parties have [edit] complained about what Dominic Grieve said, plus Mohammed Shafiq (chief exec Ramadhan Foundation and usually sensible) said: "Mr. Grieve's mentioned one incident in Slough which was dealt with by the courts and had not produced any further evidence of an endemic problem with corruption." [Link] Jeez, I doubt washing in the Pool of Siloam would help such blindness.

Opiparous ocular oblectation...

---

Indeed, what a sumptuous feast for the eyes and heart this weekend: two games, two codes, one country. After one of the most exciting games of Rugby League I have ever seen (England vs. New Zealand ended in such dramatic fashion: time up, a last minute try, the game tied, the last kick of the ball to tie or win a place in the World Cup final. Wonderful excitement with England 'seconds from victory' in a 'classic, absorbing match'; pipped at the post by the Kiwis [current World Champions]) I was relatively content. However, that was followed yesterday by an even more incredible and exciting game where the English didn't even have a dog in the fight yet what a fantastic, marvelous, brilliant game of Rugby Union: Ireland vs. New Zealand (a team who have never beaten the All Blacks versus a team unbeaten all year). The Irish built up a 19 - 0 lead, and although that lead lead dwindled they kept it right until the end, with the clock in the red, and guess what? Time up, a last minute try, the game tied, the last kick of the ball to tie or win! Such heart-wrenching and at the same time exhilarating stuff and for both games to end in the same amazing way: well worth watching (not the highlights, the whole two games).

Opiparous ocular oblectation...

---

Indeed, what a sumptuous feast for the eyes and heart this weekend: two games, two codes, one country. After one of the most exciting games of Rugby League I have ever seen (England vs. New Zealand ended in such dramatic fashion: time up, a last minute try, the game tied, the last kick of the ball to tie or win a place in the World Cup final. Wonderful excitement with England 'seconds from victory' in a 'classic, absorbing match'; pipped at the post by the Kiwis [current World Champions]) I was relatively content. However, that was followed yesterday by an even more incredible and exciting game where the English didn't even have a dog in the fight yet what a fantastic, marvelous, brilliant game of Rugby Union: Ireland vs. New Zealand (a team who have never beaten the All Blacks versus a team unbeaten all year). The Irish built up a 19 - 0 lead, and although that lead lead dwindled they kept it right until the end, with the clock in the red, and guess what? Time up, a last minute try, the game tied, the last kick of the ball to tie or win! Such heart-wrenching and at the same time exhilarating stuff and for both games to end in the same amazing way: well worth watching (not the highlights, the whole two games).

Olid obloquy III...

---

Evil smelling disgrace...first, the caveat, "there are many wholly honest Labour MPs – and quite a number of Conservatives MPs are repulsive" [and some are crooks and liars I'd add] but, writes Peter Oborne in the DT, "It’s no coincidence the MPs found guilty of fiddling are all Labour".

"There is an overwhelming likelihood that it is indeed statistically significant that only Labour MPs have been found guilty as a result of the expenses investigation. Labour members of the House of Commons need to face up to the uncomfortable truth. The outcome of the Telegraph investigation strongly suggests they are much more likely to lie, cheat and steal than members of other parties. Now that the expenses scandal has drawn to a close, they urgently need to ask themselves why that should be."

Go on, read that again but you didn't misread it. It is perhaps the new sense of entitlement (perhaps the same one that infests the BBC, as Martin Bell said earlier this month "...no more scandals please. No more palaces. No more crazy payouts"), the new position of power and sudden access to the sweet-shop with a pocket full of change; we know power corrupts but so does wealth. The Raw Story has part of the answer, quoting Paul K. Piff's (Department of Psychology at the University of California) new study (confirming what we know) that wealth [and power and privilege, I'd add] tends to increase a person's sense of entitlement, which in turn can lead to narcissistic behaviors:

"Narcissism is a multi-faceted and complex construct, but that wealth is specifically associated with it suggests that as a person’s level of privilege rises, that person becomes increasingly self-focused – in a sense, becoming the center of their own world and worldview..."

Looking at Piff's previous work (Upper class more likely to...) we see he clearly thinks it's a class/wealth issue but I don't think it's that (dare I say that I think that's piffle?) and certainly not in Labour's case: we have a Parliament full of lying, cheating, stealing fuck-wits, the fact that statistically more of them are Labour seems logical to me, it's just the way they are. :-)

Olid obloquy III...

---

Evil smelling disgrace...first, the caveat, "there are many wholly honest Labour MPs – and quite a number of Conservatives MPs are repulsive" [and some are crooks and liars I'd add] but, writes Peter Oborne in the DT, "It’s no coincidence the MPs found guilty of fiddling are all Labour".

"There is an overwhelming likelihood that it is indeed statistically significant that only Labour MPs have been found guilty as a result of the expenses investigation. Labour members of the House of Commons need to face up to the uncomfortable truth. The outcome of the Telegraph investigation strongly suggests they are much more likely to lie, cheat and steal than members of other parties. Now that the expenses scandal has drawn to a close, they urgently need to ask themselves why that should be."

Go on, read that again but you didn't misread it. It is perhaps the new sense of entitlement (perhaps the same one that infests the BBC, as Martin Bell said earlier this month "...no more scandals please. No more palaces. No more crazy payouts"), the new position of power and sudden access to the sweet-shop with a pocket full of change; we know power corrupts but so does wealth. The Raw Story has part of the answer, quoting Paul K. Piff's (Department of Psychology at the University of California) new study (confirming what we know) that wealth [and power and privilege, I'd add] tends to increase a person's sense of entitlement, which in turn can lead to narcissistic behaviors:

"Narcissism is a multi-faceted and complex construct, but that wealth is specifically associated with it suggests that as a person’s level of privilege rises, that person becomes increasingly self-focused – in a sense, becoming the center of their own world and worldview..."

Looking at Piff's previous work (Upper class more likely to...) we see he clearly thinks it's a class/wealth issue but I don't think it's that (dare I say that I think that's piffle?) and certainly not in Labour's case: we have a Parliament full of lying, cheating, stealing fuck-wits, the fact that statistically more of them are Labour seems logical to me, it's just the way they are. :-)

Our own omnishambles...

---

By "Our" of course I mean a UK based omnishambles as against the ones enveloping poor old Obama or anything remotely to do with Ows or my friends, family or associates, OK? The Labour Party in the UK is becoming embroiled in several scandals that seem to be festering in the background plus one massive one that is starting to boil over (as it should). And I'm not even talking about the worse one, their immigration - demographic genocide - scandal (nor any of hundred or so others over the last 15 years).  Now, there's Falkirk, Grangemouth and - even closer to home and far more shocking - the Coop-Flowergate scandal, the rise and fall of the 'crystal Methodist'. As David Cameron said today "There are clearly a lot of questions that have to be answered" and for some reason, for once, Ed Miliband doesn't want an inquiry.

Our own omnishambles...

---

By "Our" of course I mean a UK based omnishambles as against the ones enveloping poor old Obama or anything remotely to do with Ows or my friends, family or associates, OK? The Labour Party in the UK is becoming embroiled in several scandals that seem to be festering in the background plus one massive one that is starting to boil over (as it should). And I'm not even talking about the worse one, their immigration - demographic genocide - scandal (nor any of hundred or so others over the last 15 years).  Now, there's Falkirk, Grangemouth and - even closer to home and far more shocking - the Coop-Flowergate scandal, the rise and fall of the 'crystal Methodist'. As David Cameron said today "There are clearly a lot of questions that have to be answered" and for some reason, for once, Ed Miliband doesn't want an inquiry.

Obama omnishambles II...

---

Well, really it's part 600, or DC in Roman numerals. When it rains it pours: the scandal ridden remains of hope and change takes another dive. The BLS, (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) instead of being known as the Bureau Of Lies And Subterfuge will soon just be BS...and stinking to high heaven. The October 2012 pre-POTUS election jobs figures - roundly questioned at the time (but the 'conspiracy theorists' were shouted down) - was 'faked'.

"The decline - from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September - might not have been all it seemed. The numbers, according to a reliable source, were manipulated...And the Census Bureau, which does the unemployment survey, knew it."

[source NYP, hat-tip: Zero Hedge] The image, click to enlarge, 'The Strangest Number' (the data-set showing employment of workers in the 20-24 yrs old) was just one of the indicators back then that something was amiss.



Update 1:50 pm: of course back then there were one or two things that the electorate needed distracting from and lying about the recovery was a sure way to do that.

Obama omnishambles II...

---

Well, really it's part 600, or DC in Roman numerals. When it rains it pours: the scandal ridden remains of hope and change takes another dive. The BLS, (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) instead of being known as the Bureau Of Lies And Subterfuge will soon just be BS...and stinking to high heaven. The October 2012 pre-POTUS election jobs figures - roundly questioned at the time (but the 'conspiracy theorists' were shouted down) - was 'faked'.

"The decline - from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September - might not have been all it seemed. The numbers, according to a reliable source, were manipulated...And the Census Bureau, which does the unemployment survey, knew it."

[source NYP, hat-tip: Zero Hedge] The image, click to enlarge, 'The Strangest Number' (the data-set showing employment of workers in the 20-24 yrs old) was just one of the indicators back then that something was amiss.

Update 1:50 pm: of course back then there were one or two things that the electorate needed distracting from and lying about the recovery was a sure way to do that.

Outstanding on-board...

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An epic split: Van Damme the man. What a great ad; I must admit I thought it was another for Coors when I saw the gold trucks but WSJ has the details; I don't want to ruin it but the trucks are going backwards (!!!) and "The stunt is real and is performed in just one take". Fantastic. The video director called it an "honest homage to Van Damme, "a pop cultural icon that I have had in my life since I was a kid. The spots he has been in before have looked down on him, in my opinion. I was looking up, in celebration."" Good for you Andreas Nilsson. I'm presuming Volvo's new dynamic steering system is pretty good...

Outstanding on-board...

---

An epic split: Van Damme the man. What a great ad; I must admit I thought it was another for Coors when I saw the gold trucks but WSJ has the details; I don't want to ruin it but the trucks are going backwards (!!!) and "The stunt is real and is performed in just one take". Fantastic. The video director called it an "honest homage to Van Damme, "a pop cultural icon that I have had in my life since I was a kid. The spots he has been in before have looked down on him, in my opinion. I was looking up, in celebration."" Good for you Andreas Nilsson. I'm presuming Volvo's new dynamic steering system is pretty good...

Oberto: opening opera...

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Last month was Joe Green's 200th anniversary: and today the 174th anniversary of his first opera: Oberto. Joseph Fortune Francis Green - or one of his works or themes - is one of the first names most people would mention if asked about Opera, (or certainly Top 5 along with Puccini, Rossini, Mozart and Wagner...or maybe Bizet?). I am of course playing by using an anglicised version of his name; I mean Giuseppe Verdi, a composer who - if we were to have such vulgar and useful things as opera stats and tables...oh, we do - would be well ahead in terms of performance runs (how many times a work was programmed not the number of performances) and five of the Top 20 operas. He almost ended his career before it had begun as his two young children and wife died before the debut of his 2nd opera [Bio], Un Giorno de Regno; this wasn't successful; ironically it means 'A One-Day Reign' and Verdi was almost a one hit wonder.

"Verdi’s music transcends the barriers between high and low culture. Many of his arias count among the greatest songs ever written, streaming out of opera houses and into football stadiums and even the charts."

[from video debate: Verdi vs. Wagner]. What is Ows on about opera for? Well, opera is posh, innit, and that last quote mentioning football chants reminded me that last week Paul, writing about class envy, put up some very interesting information: "Class envy unfortunately is deeply routed in the British psyche, like subconscious racism it is always with us. Football is 'the working mans game' at £50 a ticket (the cheaper end) whilst the English National Opera (£22) and the Royal Ballet (£24) are for 'toffs'."



P.S. If you think I'm being inventive or pretentious I have written this listening to the Overture from Nabucco.