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The Furrowed Brow

Comments

1. At 11:11 AM on 19 Nov 2007, wrote:

   test

2. At 12:38 PM on 19 Nov 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

   Go on! We dare you! If you can...

   I think Marc said that there was to be a discussion about the state of the blog some time this coming week. For what it is worth I suggest that it might be better to shut it and replace it with something that works, rather than have it in this mostly-broken state but pretend that it is fine really. Eddie doing his best by saying it is bloggered when it still looks ok but enpty of comments gives *quite* the wrong impression to anyone who is unused to it.

3. At 03:31 PM on 19 Nov 2007, silver-fox wrote:

   Testing.

4. At 03:39 PM on 19 Nov 2007, silver-fox wrote:

   Testing.

5. At 03:54 PM on 19 Nov 2007, Joe Walker wrote:

   Northern Rock and Our State Bankers

   There is a rule of thumb which is a key point in this whole Northern Rock affair. It is that the State and tax-payer will always and inevitably step in when a dire situation threatens the economy and confronts us all with disaster, regardless of the processes that are responsible. We have seen that this rule remains as true as ever. And thank God it does!

   The fact that the Government's inevitable response to the crisis has illicited anxiety in some who claim this sets a bad example and will only provoke further irresponsibility within other institutions has, while being true, more to do with their inability to confront the horrible inescapable reality of the situation than it has with their fantasies of a truly independent financial system, that is, by some miracle, incapable of destroying itself and taking us all with it.

   This is a text book example of the inevitability of State economic intervention and makes ideologues such as former Northern Rock head Matt Ridley who loudly supports (supported?) the sort of capitalism that creates Northern Rock type fiascos in the first place and then equally loudly screamed for help when it blew up in his face appear hypocritical and foolish.

   If this affair isn't quoted time and again as a real-life example of the nonsense of UK-style economic 'management' and the short-term folly of its supporters I won't be in the least bit surprised, because so far I've not heard a single ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ economics editor make the point. Well I didn't expect that...
   

6. At 02:35 PM on 20 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

   I tried to post several times on the "EU finances" thread of 13th November in response to Tom @ 1 who complained that the two-seat EU Parliament costs an extra £130 million pa: There is a group of MEPs campaigning to use only one seat for that very reason.

   My post there was not 502d so I can only presume it was censored because I provided a link to that campaign's website. This seems a bit OTT as the site was relevant to the topic of the thread. However, I will not put the web address in here just in case. I merely wanted to draw attention to the fact that many MEPs are themselves unhappy with the situation and are trying to do something about it.

   I have tried to post this here before too -- that time I was 502d. This blog is blooming frustrating. The Pope is Catholic. Bears defecate in the woods...

7. At 03:26 PM on 20 Nov 2007, wrote:

   Appy, could you put the link in plain teks like xxxxDOTcom? I'd like to support that campaign...

8. At 04:59 PM on 20 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

   I tried that Fearless, but even that was censored. The words one seat are relevant and the suffix is eu... let's see if this gets through...

9. At 06:15 PM on 20 Nov 2007, wrote:

   It worked, thanks! :)

10. At 09:25 PM on 20 Nov 2007, mittfh wrote:

    Ho hum.

    Mum received the Spanish Lottery Scam in the post today. Instantly recognisable as dodgy even before the envelope was opened - it had a Spanish postage stamp on it! Surely any official organisation would frank their mail. Looking at the letter itself, not only is it littered with mistakes, but there's a grainy photo of a couple receiving a UK National Lottery cheque. They could at least have photoshopped out the crossed fingers logo...

    Here's an extract for you to giggle over and cringe at how appalling it is (spelling/formatting faithfully reproduced apart from superscript and underlining, which don't show up in the preview):

    AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION.
    This is to inform you on the release of the INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE ESPAÑA, S.A. program held on the 28TH MAY, 2007 Due to a mix up of some numbers and names, the results were released on the 12th NOVEMBER, 2007. Your name attached to ticket number 214-1781-501 with serial number 7216-05 drew the lucky numbers of 21—28-36-39-42-45 which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.

    You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of €685,000 € (SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND EUROS ONLY) in cash credited to file with REF. No X/76841284672/6 this is from a total cash prize of €11,645.00 € (ELEVEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND FOURTY FIVE THOUSAND EUROS) Shared among the seventeen international winners in there respective categories. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

    Names entered in the program were presented by ANDALUCIA VISTA S.A, in conjunction with a group of philanthropist, humanitarian organisations, and also with the help of chambers of commerce of high commission worldwide.

11. At 10:49 PM on 20 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

    Hurrah! (9)

12. At 12:08 AM on 21 Nov 2007, wrote:

    For anyone interested, look what can happen on a day when the markets are "up".
    

    hint: Look at the volume figures.

    lalalalalala
    ed

    Lucy: Dance, dance, dance. That is all you ever do. Can't you be serious for once?
    Snoopy: She is right! I think I had better think of the more important things in life!
    (pause)
    Tomorrow!!
    

13. At 01:02 PM on 21 Nov 2007, wrote:

    Nov. 21, 2007
    
    ASIAN STOCKS FELL sharply as concerns spread that the U.S. economy, the most important export market for many of the region's companies, would continue to weaken.

    MARKET INDEXES
    Australia All Ordinaries 6450.20 - 0.62%
    Bombay Sensex * 18602.62 - 3.52%
    Hong Kong Hang Seng 26618.19 - 4.15%
    Japan Nikkei 14837.66 - 2.46%
    Shanghai Composite 5214.22 - 1.50%
    Singapore STI 3347.20 - 2.65%
    South Korea Composite 1806.99 - 3.49%
    Taiwan Weighted 8484.11 - 2.27%
    
    *Intraday

    So, nothin's happening in the outside world. Let's get back to some missing discs...

    xx
    ed

    party, n.:A gathering where you meet people who drink so much you can't even remember their names.
    

14. At 04:29 PM on 22 Nov 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

    Two phrases from members of the government: 'we are sleepwalking into [x]' and 'this must be a wake-up call'.

    Is the government asleep *all* the time? I think we should be told.

15. At 04:19 PM on 26 Nov 2007, mac wrote:

    Am where broadband cannot reach me these days, mostly.

    Its like a beach with real sand and real people.

    But made the long journey into town today and am in the Information and Learning Centre on guest basis. (Library to you and me)

    So a couple of quickies.

    Brown turning to ATV presenters and now Richard Branson to get him out from between a Rock and a hard place in the polls reminds me of Nelson Mandela and the Spice Girls. (He said meeting them was the greatest day of his life)

    In RSA we have black majority government but white minority power.
    The hapless Mandela had to accept that and the charade of black power without real teeth that followed.

    Now Brown has office but he too is without power, apparently, to implement a truly socialist progamme with genuine economic planning(which would help with the problems raised in (5) I feel).

    The bitter truth may be that Brown could be more radical with a glitzy Blair in charge than when in power in his own right.

    Incidently have you noticed how the arguments about the wars have been reduced to arguments about EQIPPING our forces!!!
    They wouldn't need any equipment at all if they were home here.
    Was Brown ever a 'secret supporter of the anti war movement'?

    Its all just another case of a majority (here, those against the war) being told they live in a democracy when they don't.

    
    The battle for Brown's balls is on. Is he the Brown of equality here and in Africa and for peace everywhere or the Brown of crass publicity shots where he displays all the finesse and grace of a loser on Celebrity Strictly Come Dancing.

    I am usually deeply impressed with Eddie Mair's interviewing. Try him on for size as he gets John Bolton to explain how the US only supports democracy when its in their interests or as he reveals the power hungry side of Greg Dyke's cosy public posturing (as seen on Any Quesies)
    But was his interview about Free Speech and the Channel 4 prog on the right side of things?
    The claim against the programme was that it had cut and pasted so much that it had turned its 'contributors' into irrational rabble rousers. (Would anyone really require two Moslem women to make the accusation to believe it of an American soldier in Iraq that he raped one of them?)
    If the programme did distort things and did so because the 'participants' were Moslems then it was surely lucky to avoid prosecution and instead get a referal (by the police) to a media watchdog.

    
    Anyway as (5) argues, the irrationality of capitalist markets will force sense on us all eventually or we shall all go to hell in a hand cart to Bagpipe Music.

    yours, and may we yet change the world and its ways,

    
    mac
    

16. At 05:17 PM on 26 Nov 2007, mac wrote:

    Am where broadband cannot reach me these days, mostly.

    Its like a beach with real sand and real people.

    But made the long journey into town today and am in the Information and Learning Centre on guest basis. (Library to you and me)

    So a couple of quickies.

    Brown turning to ATV presenters and now Richard Branson to get him out from between a Rock and a hard place in the polls reminds me of Nelson Mandela and the Spice Girls. (He said meeting them was the greatest day of his life)

    In RSA we have black majority government but white minority power.
    The hapless Mandela had to accept that and the charade of black power without real teeth that followed.

    Now Brown has office but he too is without power, apparently, to implement a truly socialist progamme with genuine economic planning(which would help with the problems raised in (5) I feel).

    The bitter truth may be that Brown could be more radical with a glitzy Blair in charge than when in power in his own right.

    Incidently have you noticed how the arguments about the wars have been reduced to arguments about EQIPPING our forces!!!
    They wouldn't need any equipment at all if they were home here.
    Was Brown ever a 'secret supporter of the anti war movement'?

    
    Its all just another case of a majority (here, those against the war) being told they live in a democracy when they don't.

    
    The battle for Brown's balls is on. Is he the Brown of equality here and in Africa and for peace everywhere or the Brown of crass publicity shots where he displays all the finesse and grace of a loser on Celebrity Strictly Come Dancing.

    I am usually deeply impressed with Eddie Mair's interviewing. Try him on for size as he gets John Bolton to expalin how the US only supports democracy when its in their interests or as he reveals the power hungry side of Greg Dyke's cosy public posturing (as seen on Any Quesies)
    But was his interview about Free Speech and the Channel 4 prog on the right side of things?
    The claim against the programme was that it had cut and pasted so much that it had turned its 'contributors' into irrational rabble rousers. (Would anyone really require two Moslem women to make the accusation to believe it of an American soldier in Iraq that he raped one of them?)
    If the programme did distort things and did so because the 'participants' were Moslems then it was surely lucky to avoid prosecution and instead get a referal (by the police) to a media watchdog.

    
    Anyway as (5) argues, the irrationality of capitalist markets will force sense on us all eventually or we shall all go to hell in a hand cart to Bagpipe Music.

    yours, and may we yet change the world and its ways,

    
    mac

17. At 06:50 PM on 28 Nov 2007, wrote:

    mac - 10 out of 10 for getting through.
    2 out of 10 for what you got through.
    8 out of 10 for incoherence.

    Sid

18. At 01:56 AM on 30 Nov 2007, wrote:

    Socialism for Wall Street

    In good times, financial markets embrace capitalism. In bad times, financial markets re-discover socialism. Currently, the U.S. Federal Reserve is engaged in a dangerous strategy to look after its Wall Street friends.

    The origins of the current credit crisis lie in loose monetary policy and excessive capital flows that were turbo-charged by "financial engineering" techniques used by banks. Borrowing bought more borrowing, fueling price increases in financial assets: debt, equity, property, infrastructure.
    
    

    Discuss

    Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
    Namaste -ed

    You love peace.
    

19. At 06:28 PM on 01 Dec 2007, wrote:

    Up and Down Wall Street, Our continues.

    At the risk of boring you (which we've always considered the worst sin a journalist can commit, right up there with plagiarism, shaking a politician's hand and stealing a lame old lady's cane), we must again point out that the credit crisis is threatening to radically and fundamentally transform the investment landscape. Pure and simple, we've had three decades of mostly bull markets fed by cheap and abundantly available credit and an insatiable lust for leverage. That's fast coming to what we suspect will be a crashing end.

    Enjoy.

    Salaaaami
    ed