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News Briefs 25-06-2008

Mea Culpa.

Thanks to my senpai Rick-san, Greg & Michael —not you, the OTHER Michael.

Quote of the Day:

“We shed a lot of blood for this country. We are not going to give up our country for a mere X on a ballot. How can a ball point pen fight with a gun?”

Robert Mugabe, benevolent & compassionate tyrant of Zimbabwe

  1. Catholics find solace…LOL
    As a recovering Catholic I am bemused at all the “about faces” the church has done over the years such as repealing the “Don’t eat meat on Fridays” eternal law…in the words of the late great George Carlin “I wonder how many people are doing eternal time in hell on the “meat rap”…I hope they promoted everybody!”

    Why is it alright for kids to stop believing in Santa Clause but not alright in cancelling the belief in other guy in a white beard. At least Santa didn’t banish you to eternal damnation for a baloney sandwich.

    Kinda dumb when you think about it huh? 🙂

    Cheers

  2. Fractal Universe?
    A fractal is not a pattern of a particular nature. That’s backwards. Phenomena that include a non-integer number of dimensions (one or more can be non-integer) produce those patterns. If the distribution of the universe fits that kind of pattern it’s because there is one or more dimension (or variable) that has a fractional measure. If, for instance, gravity were balanced against the contra-gravity force tested by the Aetvos experiment, and the forces varied at different rates, then across the entire universe the total force of +/- gravity would be a non-integer variable. Looking at the sky for the picture will only find out if the picture looks like one regardless of the underlying rules. Looking at the laws of physics for evidence of fractional dimensions or variables would prove whether the universe was fractal whether we could see the pattern or not. Fact is there’s ample evidence for this already. There are many instances where we find the actual physical phenonmena do not fit the pretty, convenient and entirely artificial situation of integer dimensions. We are taught in terms of integer dimensions because the people who write the math books we learn from have to provide solvable problems. Fractional dimension problems contain infinities. “Solving” them is a trick (in Feynman’s words) called renormalization. It removes the infginities but it doesn’t give a real answer, just an understandable one.

    No, I am not the brain specialist…..
    YES. Yes I AM the brain specialist.

  3. If you were Qatar…correction Dubai

    “…what would you do with all your oil money? Build hospitals? Schools? Museums? Boooring! There’s no coolest way to invest your people’s future than building an incredible morphing skyscraper.”

    Dubai is being EXTREMELY smart with all their oil money. I do business in the Middle East and travel to Dubai and their plan for the future after the oil is gone is investing in building up real-estate and tourism which is sustainable. The average person there is very well taken care of by the government, more power to them.

    Cheers

    1. Tourism is good
      But I don’t believe it is enough.

      And I’m speaking from the perspective of a citizen from another oil-rich country, which has dilapidated its fortune with corruption and foolish schemes, while failing to actually raise the standard of living of its population.

      Sure, there are a lot of 5-star hotels over here too, full of tourists that enjoy themselves and leave nice tips to the waiters.

      There are also a lot of rich people in this country. Carlos Slim is the third richest man in the world. In the last 15 years I’ve witnessed many changes in my city, including an increase in the number of BMWs, Mercedes, some days you can even watch a Porsche or a Ferrari.

      But if that wealth is not distibuted evenly among the population, it is a recipe for social instability, that leads to many things, including enviromental decay and ultimely civil war—or terrorism. And with civil war many things happen, including the disappearance of the tourists that will go to the next hot spot in another country.

      Another change in my city I forgot to mention is an increase in the number of people hiring the services of body guards… and the numbers of kidnappings has exploded so much that I think Mexico has become more dangerous than Colombia.

      There’s nothing wrong with super-buildings—heck, I’m an interior designer and the computers renderings made me drool!— as long as you have the more pressing necessities already covered (i.e. a proper infrastructure, social security,a good education level and all your people reading and writing). Otherwise it is as reckless as the guy who goes out and buys a 52″ plasma television, but doesn’t pay his bills or has a medical insurance.

      A guy… like me 🙂

      PS: Thanks for the correction, I can’t believe I missed it eventhough I marked that news since 4 days ago!

      —–
      It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
      It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

      Red Pill Junkie

      1. When is the wealth EVER evenly distributed?
        This is a problem in ANY society…it is what it is.

        We live in a imperfect society, some being more imperfect than others.

        Cheers

        1. Agreed
          But isn’t it the role of governments to try to minimize those imperfections as much as possible?

          Ultimely I don’t know if the real drive for the construction of those ridiculously lavish hotels and department buildings has more to do with seeking tourism, than with a desire to display wealth an power. These buildings are the Taj Mahals of the XXIst century.

          And another ironic thing about them is that in order to build them, they need to hire the services of foreign consultants and professionals. Why? Because they don’t have the capacity to develop those projects themselves. 60 years ago that was the same with Japan and Sotuh Korea, and look at them now: they invested in the only real renewable wealth of this world, which is knowledge & education.

          —–
          It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
          It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

          Red Pill Junkie

          1. Have to start somewhere…
            Governments for the people by the people exists only as words on some very old paper. Just as what goes up must come down – gravity – there is another law of nature one cannot ignore – “The people get the government they deserve.”

            Do the Iraqi people need a new (but kind) Saddam?

            Sixty plus years ago Japan was kicking everyone’s ass around the pacific with technologically advanced planes and ships and nearly wiped out the American pacific fleet and sent the British running with their tail between their legs – so lets not use Japan as an example. 🙂

            What about Korea? Well they have no oil and their development was the logical result of WWII and the Korean war – then there is North Korea…what happened there?

            China? Billions of $$$ trade surplus and the world taught them how to make money from everyone all with less socialism than Australia! They really picked up on Paul Keating’s “user pays” motto. EG no national health system at all…no money no treatment – ER staff will not do anything unless the person bleeding to death (or family) can pay up front. Don’t have that kind of money with you…we can wait until you get it…but maybe the person bleeding to death cannot…oh well. (I work and Live in China)

            Back to Dubai – If China is any example Dubai will eventually profit from hiring experts to build their toys and then they can build it themselves…oh yeah and for others as well.

            Don’t get me wrong – I agree with you. 🙂 I would like to see rich countries really taking care of its people…wait a second, some do don’t they? Sweden?

            Cheers

    2. Oil and Tourism
      [quote=tihz_ho]I do business in the Middle East and travel to Dubai and their plan for the future after the oil is gone is investing in building up real-estate and tourism which is sustainable. [/quote]

      Ironically, I think one of the great impending economic catastrophes, as the oil price rises, is the collapse of tourism industries. Scary really, the amount of societies that now largely depend on that for their economy.

      Kind regards,
      Greg
      ——————————————-
      You monkeys only think you’re running things

      1. Yes
        They should be venture capitalists in projects that deal with renewable energies. Where is the jet fuel needed for the tourist planes going to come from?

        Although maybe they are not worried about that, because the only people with enough muulah to afford a US$5000-a-night suite are their sheik friends from the other arab nations.

        I agree completely with you Greg, that a nation invest all its future in tourism alone is a risky bet. Even without oil & food crisis—or natural disasters like the 2004 tsunami— tourists are fickle, they get tired and seek new thrills in other places.

        I think countries like Norway have invested more wisely their oil money. Thye knew from the start it wasn’t going to last forever and decided to prepare for they years of “lean cows”.

        —–
        It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
        It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

        Red Pill Junkie

      2. Well only for a while that is…
        Hi Greg.

        That is ironic isn’t it? But wait…oil rich countries can DOUBLE the money they got for the very same stuff they pumped last year.

        Tough choice…Double the money or keep the tourism industry going.

        I think they will go with door number one…double the money for no extra work or cost for as long as they can.

        To understand the answer (42) one must understand what the question really is…right?

        WHY is the price of OIL going up? Who is behind this?

        China is losing billions of dollars…the weak US dollar and high oil prices are knocking Chinese industry around. Seems like China really wasn’t interested in settling their trade imbalance and undervalued currency…with the US and EU…so is it time to get tough?

        Seems like the 1980’s all over again to me, but instead of Japan its now China. Remember that? Japan didn’t care to open its markets by lifting their trade restrictions to address the trade imbalance at that time. The USD falling and everyone buying the YEN so it took off put the screws to Japan and for the first time, post war, Japanese companies had to layoff workers like Nissan – that made Japan rethink its import barriers. Could this be happening again? Hugh Betcha thinks so!

        Cheers

        1. conspiracy theory #357
          How about this conspiracy theory:

          There are people who have large amounts of money, and they want the Republicans out of office in the US. Some Middle East types, maybe some of Putin’s friends.

          How do you get regime change in the US? Make their economy suffer, and the voters will elect someone else.

          So you use your money to drive up the price of oil futures.

          Of course I have no evidence for this. But it would work.

          —-
          The large print giveth,
          The small print taketh away.

          1. My bet is…
            #357 sounds plausible – don’t forget that the US is in on it as well with the US money markets in oil price feeding frenzy too.

            Elect someone else? Who? According to “The Chasers” (war on everything) Poll a few years ago Americans thought Obama was a terrorist. LOL!

            My guess is Cain will be the next president…unless he falls of the perch before hand.

            Nice to see the general population stays consistently dumb and stupid. 🙂

            Cheers

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