100% FREE ONLINE DATING
sponsored links
|
Topic:
UK’s, Survey Report
Edited by
jaish
on
Tue 12/21/21 10:25 PM
|
|
From a conversation between Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs and the Personal Assistant to the Minister, taped from the Series .., and leaked here. Bernard (PA): He's going to say something new and radical in the broadcast. Appleby (Secretary): What, that silly Grand Design? Bernard, that was precisely what you had to avoid! How did this come about? I shall need a very good explanation. B: Well, he's very keen on it. A: What's that got to do with it? Things don't happen just because Prime Ministers are very keen on them. Neville Chamberlain was very keen on peace! B: He thinks it's a vote-winner. A: Ah. That's more serious. Sit down. What makes him think that? B: Well, the party had an opinion poll done, and it seems all the voters were in favor of bringing back national service. A: Well, have another opinion poll done showing the voters are AGAINST bringing back national service. B: They can't be for it AND against it. A: Oh, of course they can, B. Have you ever been surveyed? B: Yes. Well, not me, actually, my house. Oh, I see what you mean. A: Bernard, you know what happens. A nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? B: No. A: No. So she starts asking you some questions. Mr Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs? B: Yes. A: Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers? B: Yes. A: Do you think there's a lack of discipline in our comprehensive schools? B: Yes. A: Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives? B: Yes. A: Do you think they respond to a challenge? B: Yes. A: Would you be in favour of reintroducing national service? B: ...Oh. Well, I suppose I might be. A: Yes or no? B: Yes. A: Of course you would, Bernard. After all you've told me, you can't say no to that. So, they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one. B: Is that really what they do? A: Not the reputable ones, no, but there aren't many of those. Alternatively, the young lady can get the opposite result. B: How? A: Mr Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war? B: Yes. A: Are you worried about the growth of armaments? B: Yes. A: Do you think there's a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill? B: Yes. A: Do you think it's wrong to force people to take up arms against their will? B: Yes. A: Would you oppose the reintroduction of national service? B: Yes. A: There you are, you see, Bernard. The perfect balanced sample. So we just commission our own survey for the Ministry of Defense. See to it, Bernard. -------- Please provide your email address if you would like to be informed of the result of our next Survey (Optional) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Oil Prices Quo Vadis
|
|
While oil prices are rising around the world, the oil companies have not had it better. Some are metaphorizing in anticipation to a new clean energy world, and some are deepening their storage as the reserves are getting depleted.
Imagine 2040: No oil! Here's a sample list from the hectic activities of oil companies in the last 30 days: • US conglomerate GE (NYSE:GE) will be split into three public companies focusing on energy, healthcare, and aviation, sending its stock up 7% on the day. • In a rare move for a Western major, US oil firm ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) announced it took an FID on a $10 billion petchem project in China’s Guangdong province that would specialize in performance polymers. • Spain’s oil firm CEPSA is considering the sale of its chemicals business valued at $3.5 billion as it seeks to garner funds for its transition towards renewable energy, with Citibank chosen to identify possible bidders. • The US’ standoff with OPEC was the main talking point on first week of November. Since then, not only did Saudi Arabia rebuff Washington’s calls for more output, but it also hiked its December official selling prices way beyond market expectations. Whilst US crude inventories have reportedly risen for the third straight week, the pressure is now on the Biden Administration to consider further SPR releases. Meanwhile, jet cracks have bounced back to prominence on the back of travel restrictions being lifted globally (despite both Europe and Asia seeing case spikes), adding some unseasonal strength to middle distillates. • US House of Representatives Approves $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill. Meantime the Biden Administration managed to ram through the bipartisan 1 trillion bill that would increase baseline funding on infrastructure by 550 billion and more than 100 billion on clean energy projects. • Gazprom Starts Filling up European Storage. Despite some concerns that Russia’s Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) did not book any additional capacity via Ukraine and kept Yamal-Europe deliveries into Germany at zero on Monday, the Russian firm stated that it started to send gas towards its European storage. • Aramco Sees Spare Oil Capacity Shrinking. The Saudi national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) said it expects the current 3-4 million b/d global spare production capacity to diminish significantly next year once jet demand returns in full. • Canada’s Oil Sands on Track for All-Time High. Despite the ongoing COP26 hype, Canada’s oil sands producers are on track to reach an all-time high production rate of 3.5 million b/d by December amidst a nationwide move to focus on tight budget discipline and higher dividends. • Qatar Wants More LNG Tankers. In addition to its currently operating fleet of 45 Q-Flex and Q-Max carriers, Qatar has placed another order for six new LNG vessels with South Korean shipyards as it moves to bring its total LNG fleet tally to 100 by the end of 2027. • China’s Coal Production Reaches Multi-Year Peak. Chinese authorities reported that daily average national coal output reached 11.93 million tons over the first week of November, setting the scene for further price declines as Beijing is doing its utmost to alleviate the risks of a prolonged energy crunch. • Venezuela Uses Sanctions Calm to Increase Output. Out of the public eye for several months, Venezuela’s national oil company PDVSA raised overall production to more than 600,000 b/d last month as it received Iranian condensate to dilute the extra-heavy crude from the Orinoco Belt. • Saudi Arabia Wants to Pay Back Debts with Windfall Profits. According to media reports, Saudi Arabia is looking to amend the terms of a 16 billion loan due in 2023 and reduce the size of the credit facility, as Riyadh seeks to improve its credit ratings on the back of high oil prices. • Alliance Refinery Set to Become Export Terminal. Unable to sell the 255,000 b/d Alliance Refinery which suffered the most damage from Hurricane Ida, US major Phillips 66 decided to convert the refinery into an oil export terminal, to be finalized by 2022. • UK Funds Rolls Royce to Develop Nuclear. The UK government provided a $550 million backing to Rolls Royce (LON:RR) to develop the country’s first small modular nuclear reactor as London seeks non-intermittent energy sources to complement its vast wind capacity. • Italy’s ENI Quits South Africa Block. The Italian oil major ENI (NYSE:E) withdrew from an offshore block in South Africa, a few months after its six-well drilling programs elicited a strong response from local environmentalists as the drilling would be near sites considered ecologically fragile. • Morocco Looks Towards LNG After Algeria Feud. Having been cut off from Algerian pipeline gas exports on the back of a political spat, Morocco is now considering deploying an FSRU unit to start importing LNG as soon as possible. • Gambia Re-Offers Block Relinquished by BP. Less than a year after BP (NYSE:BP) exited Gambia’s offshore block A1 citing its pivot towards low-carbon projects, the African nation’s government is offering the block in a new bidding round. • The US and UK Will No Longer Finance Oil & Gas Abroad. The US and the UK, along with another 18 nations, will no longer finance oil, gas and coal projects abroad as part of their COP26 commitments, a resolution tangibly weakened by the complete lack of Asian support for the motion. • Shell Brings Back Damaged GoM Production. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) finished repair works on the Hurricane Ida-damaged Mars and Ursa platforms in the US Gulf of Mexico and brought them in stream this Friday, meaning that the 250,000 b/d medium sour Mars crude stream is back on track two months earlier than previously anticipated. • Shell to Shut German Refinery in Low-Carbon Drive. Anglo-Dutch major Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) stated it would close down the 150,000 b/d Wesseling refinery in Germany by 2025, refocusing it towards the production of hydrogen, bio-LNG and sustainable aviation fuels |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Sadly said, (old one)
|
|
A sad faced Man goes to see a doctor. Says he is depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world. Doctor says: 'Treatment is simple. The great clown, Pagliacci, is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up.' 'But doctor...' he says sadly, 'I am Pagliacci.'"  ♀️ The whole town is in trouble!!  Ha, ha. Sadly true. Robin Williams in his last year. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Sadly said, (old one)
|
|
A sad faced Man goes to see a doctor. Says he is depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world.
Doctor says: 'Treatment is simple. The great clown, Pagliacci, is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up.' 'But doctor...' he says sadly, 'I am Pagliacci.'" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Coffee with Young girl
|
|
30 isn't a young girl. There may be a big age difference but you could have phrased your topic much better. You came across as some creepy pedophile. You should have asked about age difference.  These days, we are getting socially overchallenged. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Question
|
|
A man was sent to hell for his sins. As he was being taken to his place of eternal torment, he saw a lawyer making passionate love to a beautiful woman.
"What a rip-off," the man muttered. "Struggled through life to pay lawyers fee .." He receives a sympathetic pat from his escorting demon "and I have to roast for eternity .." Pat again, on the shoulder "and that lawyer gets to spend it with a beautiful woman." Jabbing the man with his pitchfork, the escorting demon snarled, "Who are you to question that woman's punishment?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Why Aussies are sissies
Edited by
jaish
on
Thu 12/16/21 08:29 PM
|
 Cause they, afraid of mice |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The tale of two monks and a woman is a well-known Buddhist parable. In case the reader is unaware, read on. Else go to the Sr. Monk's question at the end of this story.
Two monks were traveling together, a senior and a junior. They came to a river with a strong current where a young woman was waiting, unable to cross alone. She asks the monks if they would help her across the river. Without a word and in spite of the sacred vow he’d taken not to touch women, the older monk picks her up, crosses, and sets her down on the other side. The younger monk joins them across the river and is aghast that the older monk has broken his vow but doesn’t say anything. An hour passes as they travel on. Then two hours. Then three. Finally, the now quite agitated younger monk can stand it no longer: “Why did you carry that women when we took a vow as monks not to touch women?” The older monk replies, “I set her down hours ago by the side of the river. Why are you still carrying her?” ---- ---- So the question: 'Why is the young monk still carrying her?' ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- No words can explain his confusion. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- the torture ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- Maybe a photo? --- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- ---- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
LIBOR bye bye
Edited by
jaish
on
Tue 12/14/21 02:15 PM
|
|
Libor's demise was on the anvil after they raised interest rates in 2008. Here's my case.
Let's begin with Libor. How Is Libor Calculated? Each day, 18 international banks submit their ideas of the rates they think they would pay if they had to borrow money from another bank on the interbank lending market in London. To help guard against extreme highs or lows that might skew LIBOR, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Benchmark Administration strips out the four highest submissions and the four lowest submissions before calculating an average. Integrating world economy Libor is calculated in five currencies: UK Pound Sterling, the Swiss Franc, the Euro, Japanese Yen and the U.S. Dollar. In other words, these 18 banks took into account the strength of the 5 currencies on day-to-day basis. Libor exacerbated the 2008 Financial Crisis Here's how - according to Forbes American International Group (AIG) - bankruptcy was the biggest player in the CDS disaster. (CDS - Credit Default Swap). The firm issued vast quantities of CDS on subprime mortgages and countless other financial products, like mortgaged-backed securities. The crash of the real estate market in 2007, followed by the even larger market meltdown in 2008, forced AIG into bankruptcy, resulting in one of the largest government bailouts in history. Now don't let terms like CDS fool us. AIG is / was an insurance company and they insured all of those low value / high risk 'subprime mortgages' - in other words new US Home Loans - that made overseas funding possible. Almost, if not all of the 18 International Banks bought heavily into Sub-Prime because, hey, it was insured! Two banks (as I recall) invested heavily in Wall St. - 2008 subprime packs - Bank of London and Deutsche Bank were teetering to collapse but for their respective government's bailout. As the structural cracks on the insured CDS packs became visible to Europeans, AIG focused overseas and with extreme aggression started selling their other personal insurance packs in India! (Know this first hand). Forbes continues: Once AIG started falling apart, it became clear that failing subprime mortgages and the securities built on top of them weren’t properly insured, many banks became reluctant to lend to each other. Libor transmitted the crisis far and wide since every day Libor rate-setting banks estimated higher and higher interest rates. Libor rose, making loans more expensive, even as global central banks rushed to slash interest rates. Great respect for Forbes but this time their patriotism is showing and not the truth. Taking shots on LIBOR is unkind since while US government bailed out a few major institutions including AIG; it was Europe and others who pumped in money into Wall St. - on the scale of US Govt. bail out packages. That Barclay's and Bank of Scotland manipulated LIBOR rates in 2012 for personal profits is / was insufficient reason to pull down the shutters - in my opinion. Clearly, with LIBOR gone, US Treasury can print trillions of dollars with lesser fear of inflation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Lesson plans from companies
|
|
Valuable links, probably keep me busy for a while.
Also thanks for weighing in your thoughts on parents' involvement - well said, like a mission statement.  Will keep you informed. Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Lesson plans from companies
|
|
Thanks Tom,
A neuroscientist had once commented, 'all brains are born equal, and it's the schooling that makes the differences'; and in a website, someone had quoted: 'Nature gives us a brain, Life transforms it into a Mind'. Then realized the quote, while impressive, was wrong. The mind is already 'pre-cast' mainly during schooling years and some refinements during early twenties; that's mostly it. So when in 4th Std textbook, there's a great deal of emphasis on 'Pollution & climate change' when, kids should be introduced to Plant life and Photosynthesis .., man gets worked up. It's for this reason I was looking for alternatives from industry rather than mainstream education. For example, a student may expect to know the difference between iron and steel when he learns about it from a steel plant's website where he can see pig iron is further processed to steel rather than from a textbook. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
LIBOR bye bye
|
|
Reuters - Bankers and regulators will be at their screens on New Year's Eve to see if what was once dubbed the world's most important number slips quietly into the history books. The London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor, is finally being switched off, ending its role pricing derivatives and loans ranging from mortgages and student loans to business funding and credit cards, which totaled $265 trillion globally at of the start of 2021. Libor began life in a corner of London's syndicated loan market in 1969 to help price an $80 million syndicated loan for the Shah of Iran. The rate is being scrapped a decade after banks were caught trying to rig it in what will be the biggest shake-up to markets since the introduction of the euro in 1999. Now for the big one: The U.S. Fed says its Sofr rate for replacing Libor is based on about $1 trillion in daily transactions, making it far harder to rig. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Birds aren't real
|
|
Actually it's only been a meme for a couple of years. And the guy who started it is making some serious cash selling T-shirts and what-not. World is divided by those who buy the T shirts and those who do not or will not. SEOUL, Dec 13 - South Korea will soon roll out a pilot project to use artificial intelligence, facial recognition and thousands of CCTV cameras to track the movement of people infected with the coronavirus, despite concerns about the invasion of privacy. The nationally funded project in Bucheon, one of the country's most densely populated cities on the outskirts of Seoul, is due to become operational in January, a city official told Reuters. The system uses an AI algorithms and facial recognition technology to analyse footage gathered by more than 10,820 CCTV cameras and track an infected person’s movements, anyone they had close contact with, and whether they were wearing a mask, according to a 110-page business plan from the city submitted to the Ministry of Science and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), and provided to Reuters by a parliamentary lawmaker critical of the project. China, Russia, India, Poland and Japan as well as several U.S. states are among the governments to have rolled out or at least experimented with facial recognition systems for tracking COVID-19 patients, according to a March report by Columbia Law School in New York. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Lesson plans from companies
Edited by
jaish
on
Sun 12/12/21 05:39 PM
|
|
Came across two experiments for 8 then 9 year old's by Clearway Community Solar Clearway builds solar power plants / solar farms to 'communities' and as part of marketing plan they include lessons for kids on energy - simple experiments involving parents. First, For 8 year old: Measuring plant growth in sunlight Second, for 9 year old's on Electricity usage ---------------------------------------  https://www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com/blog/science-center-home-experiments-for-kids/measuring-plant-growth-with-sunlight/ Second, for 9 year old's and above, on Electricity Monthly usage / Bill  https://www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com/blog/science-center-home-experiments-for-kids/investigating-energy-use/ Needless to say, if other companies could come up with lesson plans on their website - that would be impressive. Points 1. Although these lessons may not fit in school syllabi I feel they make great / 'pragmatic' intro to topics like: photosynthesis and electricity. Do you agree? 2. Are there other companies with lessons / experiments - bringing school lessons and practical life closer? (Please avoid mentioning 'NASA for Kids'. I'm tired of Mars.) 3. Do you recall your school excursion as of any social / educational value? (Please avoid trips to Museum) ---- You maybe wondering why this, after the recent one on Multiplication. It's mainly because I feel my state schools' new syllabi is watered down and needs to be put back on a better if not the good old track. Thanks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Birds aren't real
|
|
Where did you get this information from? I got my information from a comic strip called "The Outlanders". At least, I think, that's what the name was changed to. Comic strip, historical roots and what not - all good stew till the day technology is there. Then concept papers jump out and government sanction's a pilot project and so on. Finally when a democracy is constrained to abandon it due to whistle blowing, late bloomers have already matured the technology and made available at low cost. China's Huawei, Israel's Pegasus, Russia's android spyware; i.e., assuming 'bird-drones' as catechism for these. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Birds aren't real
|
|
Where did you get this information from? Roots from, 'Ravens on the Tower of London' |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks Tom,
Also for ‘5 candies and 3 people’, lovely example This Post is because 5 years ago, I was trying to motivate my neighbor’s kid, then a restless 10-year-old / Grade III (we call it IIIrd Standard here) to memorize the Tables. His younger brother then 9-years, knew the Tables. Back then, when I gave him a few problems (after walking through an example) the kid disappeared, then returned with the answers. Found out that the kid had borrowed his father’s cell phone to get the answers. Now the 'kid' is in VIII Std. And his Math textbook watered down to the old V Std levels I remember. God save this Country. Thanks Crystal, For marking out appropriate age with grades Personally I think these days kids have to get their heads filled with way too much crap at too early an age. Less and less time to be a child, have fun, play, and enjoy. The things children should do. Kids even start learning English in kindergarten! What kind of bullcr@p is that? And learning to use computers etc. I'd much rather see that they let the kids play more. To the above, add, vanishing playgrounds here Hi Bonnie, Very valuable reference, thanks. Makes amateurs like me realize the seriousness |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It used to be in Grade III textbooks in the 1960s when I was in primary school and till the 2000, my daughter's time in primary. Now I’m seeing that while there’s lot more information in the textbooks, Math is watered down. In Grades III, Children are learning shapes and patterns and in Grade IV, counting sets of patterns and the decimal system when they should be learning areas inside triangles and circles; if not on volumes. The Multiplication Table is now introduced in Grade V. I believe this delay is due to the ‘no child left behind’ till Grade IX - policy followed in Indian schools. Any thoughts? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
NYC taxi driver says a joke
Edited by
jaish
on
Thu 12/09/21 05:29 AM
|
|
New Yawk, New Yawk,
a city so nice they hadda name it twice! - some nut |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic:
Liebniz
|
|
A name and history, that aren't taught anywhere in the U.S. cumbaya educational systems. But, should be. Source 'Men of Mathematics' - E.T. Bell (American) Interestingly, Bell also mentions Blaise Pascal's achievements including the Binomial Theorem; as overshadowed by Newton's compendium. This because, as Newton himself pointed out, Pascal's use of the 'Rule or Law of Induction' in Math which led to Pascal's Binomial Theorem - as a powerful indisputable Rule of reasoning ..., 'also in Philosophies of Nature, (Physics) '. Newton had, during his early twenties, (during the Plague 1666) already applied 'Induction' to get to the Binomial Series; preliminary step or one of alternate path to Calculus. Surprisingly, the French regard Pascal's philosophical works as his greatest contribution. --- - Leibniz and his associates - as per Bell, were instrumental in developing the language of calculus which by itself had algebraic fall outs - like the chain rule. --- Newton has / had been criticized heavily and for this reason he did not publish several papers including the one on his Calculus. What is available on Net - is a minor work by his friend Collins. When we say, there's more, here's an example. As Pres. of Royal Society, he encouraged experiments and one of them was the invention / development of the 'pressure cooker' - which gives a twist - as this cooker cylinder was the fore-runner of steam boiler drum / a cylinder with safety valves - leading to the next step of steam engines and so on. As mentioned, history brings to life all these. Also, so many frags - makes me curious - what OP had in mind. |
|
|
|
|
Previous
