´óÏó´«Ã½

So much for abolishing boom and Bust. This is Boom and Broke !!!

It would appear that by continuously cutting base rate the BoE is effectively putting a virtual gun to the head of cash investors and saying " you will invest in the stock market or loose capital to inflation " This can't be helpful for our economy as the Banks need all the cash savings they can get their hands on in order to lend to real business.

The Corporate Nazi stock market parasites are lapping it up, they can borrow for virtually nothing and then hope that the large company they invest in will at least pay a decent dividend. At the same time smaller non stock market competitors are constrained from expanding even if they can survive without credit for monthly outgoings.

There has already been a mini share price bubble over the holiday period, but it has to be noted that one TV commentator once claimed that the FTSE was only worth 3000 if you stripped out all the borrowed borrowings.

Does anybody see a connection between and which was ignored for nearly two years by Newsnight. Why?

NEW WORLD ORDER

What is Gaza about? bigoted, uncompromising religion, territorial impasse, male violence, high-minded posturing, political dissembling; in short: an irresolvable mix of animal and cerebral. How much rise in sea-level will it take to cover the lot?

Robert Ardrey dubbed us the 'Bad Weather Animal'. The weather has been too good for too long. . .

I yearn for an economic system that protects the rewards of societal contribution, and a government that protects earnt rewards and doesn't erode savings and give it to the 'needy' in the form of 'winter fuel payments' to expats basking in the med. To say this problem is global dismisses the fact that the pound sterling has fallen significantly against the MAJORITY of global currencies to the tune of over 30% in many cases. We have a country heamorhedging, and the scab is being picked at before its even started to staunch the wound created by massive overspending. To add insult to injury, one would expect much more effective, responsive, and efficient public services. However, it is now required to have to phone up yourself from your deathbed to ensure there actually is a bed for an operation. There are police helicopters keeping all awake circling overhead trying to miraculously somehow catch copper stealing drug addicts without touching their cash laundered hindquarters. If you're actually lucky enough to eat anything more sustaining than a rotten lettuce, you'd better not expect to chew it, as if you were lucky enough to get a mortgage to remortgage it will be necessary for the required dental attention. Education more advanced than learning English cockney slang will also require remortgaging.
How is this hell cemented to eternity ? Dictatorship. This is Britain, and long live democracy !!!

INTENSIONS MEANS CONTRADICTIONS

barrie (#4) "What is Gaza about? bigoted, uncompromising religion, territorial impasse, male violence, high-minded posturing, political dissembling; in short: an irresolvable mix of animal and cerebral."

Ok, say that is all true. Look at the mean IQ of the population of Gaza (see Lynn and Vanhanen (2002) for a regional proxy) and take on board the high heritability of intelligence and how it's negatively correlated with religiousity. Consider that as being a little like believing in Santa. Now ask why one doesn't enlighten little children, and one should become of three things a) we naturally assume that we are all equal even when the evidence shows that we are not b) more worryingly, we then go on to lambast/denigrate those who are less able then others AS IF through doing so we can make them behave differently and c) we are highly intolerant of difference and resort to punishment out of frustration, not accepting that there are laws of biology and behaviour sustained by gene barriers - we do this because we want to believe that we are free and have choice etc etc.

Santa...

Barrie (No. 4)

A very good precis!

given the german bond market aution failed yesterday germany being the safest and most liquid assets- the last German bond auction to fail was in July 2000 after the dotcom crash. Before the financial crisis German bond auctions just did not fail.

The vast amount of supply is deterring investors and a growing number of countries, including those with deep and mature bond markets, such as Germany, the UK and Italy, are struggling to attract buyers.


It looks like if govts want to gorge on debt then there will be an interest rate war with rates maybe going up to icelandic levels.

German bonds returned 12.2 percent last year, compared with 13 percent for UK gilts and 14 percent for U.S. Treasuries. Which makes the 1.5pc the uk retail investor gets look stingy?

forget stock markets, currencies and the usual punters. the bond market is the 'all seeing' eye of the economy.

for some reason the media punters think its 'boring' so don't watch it.

at the moment its flooded with govts seeking money.

the logic being if govts can't raise money then they will HAVE to print it.

Britain is planning to raise £146.4bn in bonds this financial year.

Meanwhile people are being advised to move money out of premium bonds whose winnings are based on base rate.

...We've been giving a lot of thought to how we deal with the half per cent interest rate cut..

may i recommend the Dustbin Drummers of Deptford who could, in the studio, act out the rate cut in dance and rhythm with dustbin lids tied to their feet?

As for alchemists i do know someone who for [quite a bit] of silver crossing her palm would be prepared to 'read the cards' for you. All you need is to get Merv to shuffle them.

The credit crunch would be just the time for an increase in sales of lucky heather?

When will the ´óÏó´«Ã½ explain terms like "printing money", "bank rate ", "inter bank lending", "capital", "liquidity" in ways that a normal, moderately intelligent person might understand? I have watched a lot of TV dealing with the current economic problems. I've never seen a reasonable explanation of any. Even Robert Peston can be confusing. Tonight there was an opportunity (Gillian Tett and Sushil W) wasted. (James Caan; pleasant and a successful businessman but beyond pointing out how the problem affects business, a waste of time). Kirsty????

Perhaps the ´óÏó´«Ã½ could start explaining money*; VERY few people have the faintest idea what it is. (I am absolutely serious in that.) Kirsty in particular should find out; talking of "fictitious money" was just plain silly. But it sounds reasonable if you don't know what money is.

(Money is a subset of banks' liabilities.).

*After all, we pay you enough.

DUMBED DOWN TO PLEASE?

13thMan (#10) "When will the ´óÏó´«Ã½ explain terms like "printing money", "bank rate ", "inter bank lending", "capital", "liquidity" in ways that a normal, moderately intelligent person might understand?"

What's a 'reasonably intelligent person" these days?

Presumably the Production Team consider the audience smart enough to look these terms up using Google if they don't already understand them? Otherwise Newsnight really would have to dumb-down to something along the lines of Sesame Street.

Surely it's appeals for everything to be spelled out which accounts for the annoying Blue Peter/Newsround audio-visual aids? If newsnight dumbs down, how are interviewees going to behave??

It's a self-perpetuating downward spiral.

#4 BS Another very good summing up barrie, you always hit the nail on the head!

The economy is harder than a rubiks cube ! I can get a side !!! (The consumerist side)

INFORMATION SERVICE

Private Eye has some revealing info on our arms exports to Israel. As Gordon has no doubt prayed in private: "Lord, give me a cease-fire, but not yet."

#11 JJ

Not at all a well thought through response. I doubt many people would look up the terms on Google. If they did it would not help them to understand (any more than looking at the blueprints for a full set of car component would give any idea of the pleasure of a Sunday afternoon drive through the Cotswolds).

Failing to explain is more likely to lead to dumb thinking. That might lead to a downward spiral. Education (explanation) offers the possibility of an upward spiral.
--------------------------------------------------------
If the presenter isn't competent in the matter being presented there is little hope. I failed to mention the absurd suggestion that if the Bank "printed" money it would be like Mugabe's monetary expansion. That almost defied belief. Bring on Blue Peter. Konnie Huq is a trained economist. (Like Jenny Scott and Darshini David, both of whom the ´óÏó´«Ã½ have replaced with "presenters".)

Len Freeman (Kristy):::

[Rate cut]

That is a very good news for the economy in the United Kingdom for the persons who are paying for loans thru the banks.....

~Dennis Junior~

Len (Kristy)

[Gaza]

This situation is very depressing and continuing violence in the Middle East....


~Dennis Junior~

Len (Kristy)

[Nigeria]

Thanks for the excellent report by Sue Lloyd-Roberts and her team that went with her on this extremely dangerous story in the Nigeria Delta....

~Dennis Junior~

13thMan (#15) What you say makes no sense. We do not pump thoughts into people, we shape and direct natural inquiry/ability. Assessing the validity of what I say with reference to what you imagine when the very point of what I say is that what you imagine is ill-thought through is hardly convincing. If people do not have the initiative to use the web to look up these terms (i.e. read many of the explicating articles on the credit crunch and finance by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and others) they just are not very bright, and it is no surprise to me that they can not follow Newsnight which has to assume a basic level of critical understanding be be informative.

What you have done in your most recent post is show that you are quite content (out of wounded pride?) to defend the indefensible to preserve your cognitive status quo. I suggest you try to ACTIVELY learn (and encourage others to do so) instead of expecting others to spoon-feed, i.e do the work for others, as requests such as the one you posted may go a long way towards accounting for the very behaviour which you're criticising.

The fact that Israel (and Egypt) has control of Gaza airspace and territorial waters as well as control over entry and exit to Gaza, AND treats the import (or export) of arms as 'smuggling', amounts to Gaza, which would surely constitute but for the fact that Gaza is not, de jure, an independent state? Yet since 2006, it has been legitimately governmented by Hamas. Was that not why Israel had to legally withdraw?

Still, the UN has taken at least a step towards a modicum of credibility, although the reference to 'smuggling' is disingenuous and bizarre given that Hamas is a legitimately democratically elected government and should technically be the democratic voice of both Gaza and the West Bank.

Regarding the UN Resolution (ignored by both sides today) "Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said the group did not recognise the resolution as it had not been consulted."

Israel is clearly just making matters for itself. It is alienating all of those which it needs to endear itself to, both in the Middle-East, and in the wake of high profile dubious financing and business/economic practices in in the West, abroad.

As it is, we see it daily hoisting itself with its own petards.

#
13thMan (#15) What you say makes no sense"


--To whom? Try googling my words. You'll get there."



--"We do not pump thoughts into people"

By presenting material which people may think they understand when they do not the ´óÏó´«Ã½ may have that effect.

--If people do not have the initiative to use the web to look up these terms (i.e. read many of the explicating articles on the credit crunch and finance by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and others) they just are not very bright, "

Or perhaps they tried and either gave up or were confused. I've read a few and had to pinch myself.

-- "suggest you try to ACTIVELY learn (and encourage others to do so) instead of expecting others to spoon-feed, i.e do the work for others, "

May I suggest you read again what I wrote. I must assume you misread it; your response makes no sense at all.

Why should people be "spoon-fed" by books, google, research papers etc. rather than the ´óÏó´«Ã½.? We all rely on others for information and explanation. It is sensible to explain terms used when their technical meanings differs from their common usage meanings.

--"Wounded pride"?

I'm a little above such feelings. I don't even think of such things.

'A BIT IRISH' (that's irony Blogdog, not racism!)

Poignancy is back! Radio 4 is reading 'And Did Those Feet'; today touching on British INHUMANITY to the starving, destitute Irish. The (apparent) parallel with Israel/Gazans was striking. But that was then . . . British unpleasantness is, nowadays, as elegant and subtle as her corruption.

ufos

as anyone who has watched scooby doo knows the headless horseman or whathaveyou is really the janitor who is up to no good.

so its probably sabotage.

i see this has got the NN treatment too?

explanations.

i suppose NN should expect people to have a bit of a 'hinterland' and raise their game by pulling people up rather than dragging them down.

its like reading a book a bit above your age range and its full of words for which you need a dictionary. but then that is how you learn?

who reads janet and john books now?

13thMan "Or perhaps they tried and either gave up or were confused. I've read a few and had to pinch myself.....

Why should people be "spoon-fed" by books, google, research papers etc. rather than the ´óÏó´«Ã½.? We all rely on others for information and explanation. It is sensible to explain terms used when their technical meanings differs from their common usage meanings."

As you ask, let me explain.

First, the web is interactive. if one does not understand how a term is used, one can search the web. This is akin using an academic library or reference book, something anyone who went to university in the 60s or 70s had to learn to do in order to get an even passable degree. The onus is on the person who does not understand to bring themselves up to speed.

Second, specialist subjects create their own terms because 'common usage' terms are inadequate for what they analyse. All subjects do this, in the sciences, this is especially clear, i.e. there are specialist predicates in chemistry, biology, physicals with very strict rules of usage. There are specialist languages and these can not be translated into 'common-usage'. That is why the specialist terms and their uses were created in the first place (this is at root a Quinean point and it is woefully misunderstood by many who should know better). Competence in a specialist area requires competence with a specialist language. I should not need to point out that this can take years to get to even a graduate level of competence. Most people working in specialist areas require qualifications to work in those fields, these qualifications are supposed to show that they are competent in the use of that field's language and rules/laws.

Third, there is no way that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ can anticipate all levels of competence in Newsnight's audience, they have to pitch their production for a select audience. Newsnight used to be pitched at an educated audience, i.e. one which could, if need be, go and further educate itself if need be. This, sadly, seems to be less and less the case. I have suggested why in many posts.

I hope this makes my earlier posts clearer.

I'm with 13thMan @ [10]. I tried googling an explanation of money a few months ago but came away unenlightened.

Course I might just be plain stupid (even though I've got an IQ of 180 or something ridiculous and thanks for that god and evolution though I'd have settled for a bigger willy all the same) but I suspect my main problem is that I can't quite get my head around what I did understand of it - that it really is all simply made up in the first place.

I wish Kirsty in her discussion with the panel had brought the discussion back to her question 'what makes it different from Zimbabwe?' that she did raise and which got lost.

I was disappointed on the whole by Alan Johnston's piece. Rather than get a second hand account from a ´óÏó´«Ã½ producer who has already come in for a fair bit of flak over his interview with Dr. Mads Gilbert at Shifa hospital I should have preferred an interview with a Hamas spokesperson.

#22 and #26

I repeat:

May I suggest you read again what I wrote. I must assume you misread it; your response makes no sense at all."

Your "explanation " completely misses the points I made. Try to clear your mind of your fixed ideas, perhaps have a cup of tea and re-read what I said.

I largely agree with what you said at #26. It is not related to what I said, beyond the sequence numbers on this blog. You have missed my points.

{ Your first point: think of the blue prints.

Your second point: "Specialist subjects create their own terms." "Common usage terms inadequate." YES,YES, YES!!! That is why people need to understand the differences. That is why I would like the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to explain (at least that they are different).

Your third point: All people are not competent in many subjects. Many (most?) could become more competent. Newsnight is a TV programme from a public(ly funded) broadcaster. It is not a specialist academic programme. It is right for the content to be pitched at brightish people. It is always silly to spoil a programme through poor communication. Using terms listeners are unlikely understand is an example of poor communication. Even worse when they are likely to think they have understood what they have misunderstood.}

from one point of view its because of financial illiteracy [especially among the political class] that this was allowed to happen and so its good people want to know.

finance is a simple subject that is 'mystified' by various self interests to appear 'complex' beyond the range of normal mortals.

the reality is any one who balances their household budget is a better financier than a lot of 'experts'. If these experts were experts they would be billionaires? But people became rich not because of some deep insight into finance but because of fraud and as newly found fraud after fraud appears around the world that is basically what has been going on.

so if something does not make sense to you then its probably because is bllcks.

which bit are people mystified by?

rinpoche1 (#27) "Course I might just be plain stupid (even though I've got an IQ of 180 or something ridiculous"

Rest assured, you are not stupid (just a little narcissisitic perhaps). However, given that IQ tests are , are we to believe that you are MUCH brighter than 99.9% of the population, or are you just being 'ridiculous'? I suggest that your behaviour is at odds with what you say if not.

You may well Google, and you may well not benefit, but what does that suggest? It may well be that what has happened in recent times does not makes sense, but much of it was predicted you will discover if you follow the links I have provided. ETS was not the first, although it is a little surprising that the economy has deteriorated SO quickly.

13thMan (#28) ´óÏó´«Ã½-2 is a specialist audience channel. It does, alas, appear to be dumbing down though.

#27 rinpoche1

"I can't quite get my head around what I did understand of it - that it really is all simply made up in the first place."

I think that sums up the point well. All money is "made up" (for practical purpose in UK and most of the world). It is intrinsically worthless.

(since ALL money is made up, fictional, Kirsty's comments about "printing fictional" money were silly. It is like talking of wet water.

Re. Zimbabwe? Many governments "print" money as a form of taxation (they use it to buy real things--that is really what taxation means). It causes inflation. In the UK we face a real risk of DEflation. So an inflationary nudge may be sensible. Even high inflation would be better than very high unemployment (I think, even though I would benefit much more from unemployment).

To compare UK and Mug's Zim was extremely silly. But I can see why even intelligent people might wonder. That is why the ´óÏó´«Ã½ should explain such things as are easily misunderstood.

Throughout life I have been happy. As I get older, I wish I had a higher IQ.

#29
"finance is a simple subject"

Finance is essentially about the future. That is unknown. I can't see how that can be simple.

Unfortunately, many people believe measurable history is a good guide to the future; The types who think science is useful beyond its limited domain. These are the "rocket scientists" of financial engineering (E.g. LTCM).

"If these experts were experts they would be billionaires? "

No. It is the presence of experts that restricts the possibilities for getting rich. The fact a few make it does not damage my point.

Sadly your comments fraud seem about right.

I'm considering an experiment to see exactly what a person has to do to be banned from or censured by the Newsnight blog.

It seems that being rude and personally insulting, repetitive, boring, posting inordinate amounts, and expounding questionable theories isn't any problem at all. In fact, it appears that consistently being allowed to display these characteristics actually leads certain posters to believe that they are exempt from the social norms that most of the rest of us try to follow for our mutual benefit.

The notion that there are crucial human qualities without which we could not survive, but which cannot be measured by IQ tests, clearly goes right over some people's heads. It's very sad.

so people do understand? so where's the problem? it seems the topic is about imagining there are people who do not understand and so there should be 'explanations' when that is fictitious fantasy? which seems a vexacious spirited point?

the future is simple. its unknown. so anything on it can be called speculation.

these days a finance expert is someone who stays in business.

usually the people who have dogmatic views about it are not those who practise it but armchair theorists.

the best way to understand it is to say get a demo fx account and try to double it and then find out why 90% of people lose. Then try it with real money and find out why most give up.

ON TRANSPARENCY VS INTENSIONAL OPACITY

the13thMan and rincpoche1

I suggest you watch ´óÏó´«Ã½ Parliament now on the banking crisis (or record it if you can). Bear in mind that 20 percent of at least some lenders' mortgage books was BTL. Whilst those products may now be closed, the public subsidy of them is not. When one hears of people losing their homes (or businesses), what exactly does that mean....;-) ? When 'consumers' are encouraged to spend their way (savings?) out of the downturn, just where does that money go?

Despite the rhetoric, there is little transparency as there are vested commercial and personal interests at stake in this still highly deregulated 'free' market. Who has the legal power to enforce transparency given that the FSA/SEC is (conveniently) inadequately resourced?

I was reading a book on hyperventilation syndrome and asthma recently which stated that newsreaders tends to suffer from hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) due to the 'odd' way in they gulp in air in order to read their long dialogue without pausing to breathe correctly.

I am not sure whether it is a cold or not but last night Kirsty appeared to be hyperventilating a fair bit at one point - hyperventilation syndrome ain't good for anyone's health and can cause long-term health issues.

Heck, but what do I know as I ain't a Doctor but just an avid reader of books... Hope the cold is better soon.

Btw, we need to see more of the Labour Party's Economic guy on Newsnight. What is his name? Oh yes, Saint Vincent of Cable! He really knows how to defend the Government's economic policies. Brown must be so pleased to have him in his Government!

Fliegel (#33) "In fact, it appears that consistently being allowed to display these characteristics actually leads certain posters to believe that they are exempt from the social norms that most of the rest of us try to follow for our mutual benefit."

You clearly don't like people being allowed to say things you disapprove of. Why is that?

Every time things heat up in the Middle-East, one sees the same surreptitious censorial political activism masquerading as concern for common-decency appear in blogs throughout the web. Diligent readers will use Google to look into how systematic this is, and how it is funded. CiF is usually a good source.

Now why does this happen? The last time was during the Israel-Lebanon war....

Fortunately, there are some .

It was just an educated guess, but it is.

Personally, I think the UN should go in and collectively disarm Israel whist monitoring Hamas and preventing it from any further attacks on Israel. But I very much doubt that's likely to happen, unless Israel ups the ante.

If this was Serbia and Kosovo....

MANY A TRUE WORD..

rinpoche1 and 13thMan

SHOE SIZE AND IQ (#27)

Rinpoche has touched a nerve (or several million) there. IQ is in the head; most human behaviour is visceral; this uneasy 'alliance' - temed falsely an 'individual' is the cause of our strife. Not sure if I have posted this, but it's apposite.

SHOE SIZE AND IQ (#27)

Rinpoche has touched a nerve (or several million) there. IQ is in the head; most human behaviour is visceral; this uneasy 'alliance' - termed falsely an 'individual' - is the cause of our strife. Not sure if I have posted this, but it's apposite.

END GAME

There once was a land full of two-ended folk
their construction both basic and charming;
the artist, philosopher, poet and don,
juxtaposed lusty apes, good at farming.

Now you might think that this crazy scheme could not work
but if you haven't tried it don't knock it
for half way along, evolution had placed
a wonderfully formed plug and socket.

Each end had such organs and limbs as required
to attend to the stuff they would do;
at night they enjoyed a Platonic embrace
but when morning arrived - came in two.

I know not how long that their bliss was complete
but at last they ran clean out of luck
God's will or black magic or just heavy dew:
all the plugs and the sockets got stuck.

The high-minded end, thus far free from all taint
found out about sex and soil tilth;
before very long it was down in the dirt
quite diverted by cerebral filth.

The two ends conspired to invent GM crops
pornography, gambling and debt.
The join healed up, extra limbs disappeared
but I'm told they are holding on yet.

With narcotics and genocide, WMD
underhand psychological vending
gender roles all confused, procreation awry
hell-bent on inglorious ending.

#39 "Many a true word"

And also a load of carp. Good fun but not informative (or informed I would guess).

#35
" TRANSPARENCY VS INTENSIONAL OPACITY"

"Intensional" sounds like deliberate, even if it doesn't mean that. I reckon a lot of people will say yep! good example.

barrie (#40) "IQ is in the head"

No, brains, blood vessels etc are 'in the head'. Brains like eyes are in the world and are part of what mediates behaviour within the world. IQ is normatively (relative to others) measured through behaviours, usually pencil marks on paper in response to questions/tests, but not always. The point here is that behaviourists are physicalists, i.e. they don't believe in 'mind' anymore than they believe in ghosts or the ether, there being no evidence for such 'entities'. In fact, logic and science suggests these are folk theoretical constructions in lieu of better understanding of physical behaviours. To understand that, one has to learn a specialist language.

To me (not an economist), this easing thing sounds very much like a procedure for the long term devaluation of Sterling.

Any chance of hearing what the effects of this policy would be on the average worker or family in the UK ?


Off Topic -

For the past few days I have been plagued with a tune in my head "Things ... can only better ", so I thought I would pass it on , enjoy !

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE JJ! (#44)

" . . . anymore than they believe in ghosts or the ether "



Schrodinger's cat was taken to the vet (having been found alive after the famous experiment, but now suffering from incurable claustrophobia). It looked up at the vet and said: "are you sure that ether has the properties you believe it has?" (:o)

13thMan (#43) I suggest you look the term (intenSional) up. The intenTional is a mere subset.

You have a lot to learn.

SELF-EXPOSURE

barrie (#46) Cosmologists say all sorts of things. If one can't measure it, chances are one can't manage it, and if one can't manage it, chances are it's intensional and one doesn't know what one's talking about.

That's something which Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock Executives amply demonstrated their grasp of when giving oral evidence before the Treasury Committee - front persons tend to be quite adept at such nefarious gymnastics.

Mr Regev, spokesman for Israel, is rather adept too, but ever so transparent at the same time ;-).

Israel should be disarmed by the UN. Israel is setting a very bad example. One might have expected them to have been rather keen to do otherwise given their alleged history of persecution.

It's worth bearing this aptitude for non-credible spin in 'mind' ;-).

#47 JJ. May I (once again) ask that you read what I wrote. Your response makes no sense in light of that. And it wasn't difficult. You just need to note it followed from my earlier comments.

13theMan (#49) "Your response makes no sense in light of that".

It currently makes no sense to YOU. That is not the same as it making no sense. As I've said, you have a lot to learn. Start by looking into what the opposite of intensional is.

#50 JJ

I meant it was clear you had not properly read what I had written. I'm fairly sure you assumed I had misread what you had written as "intentional". I had not*. I think that is why you responded in a way that made no sense (yes, to me. I think you know what I mean. ).

* ("sounds like", "even if it doesn't". They are good clues.)

13thMan ""Intensional" sounds like deliberate, even if it doesn't mean that".

Does your inability to use Google to learn how to use financial terms extend to not being able to learn how to use logical terms?

"I meant it was clear you had not properly read what I had written"

What is clear from your written behaviour is that you are presently not able to ascertain whether or not I have properly read what you have written. There is your first lesson in the nature of the idioms of propositional attitude vs behaviour. 'Reading' is in fact an intensional idiom, as is 'meaning'. 'Sounds like' is treacherious too. One tends to create/invesnt under such circumstances, i.e impute.

I wonder about Ms Jean or is it Monsieur Jean? Has she been placed here as an Agent Provocateur by Newsnight to stir the blog! ; )

YOU AINT SEEN NOTHIN' YET! (#53)

Hi Lizzie. By my intuiting, Jaded Jean is only firing on half a cylinder, as yet. Quine is reported as having proposed the ultimate library of two books: one with a dash in it and the other with a dot. I think that might be quite revealing!
When the library comes to be, I shall sneak in and add a third book - with just a question-mark.

. - ?

#52 JJ

"Does your inability to use Google to learn how to use financial terms "

There you go again. What is the basis for your assertion? (Unless you know more about me than can be gleaned from this blog there is no basis. Nothing I have written here would lead anyone to assert that. I think you are confused.)

I think you should learn to read what is written so your responses are not random nonsense. It seems (to me) you pick on odd words and blurt out nonsense, much as "to a child with a new hammer, everything seems like a nail."

13thMan (#55) " What is the basis for your assertion?" That your written verbal behaviour here shows no evidence of your having learned since I pointed out that you have a lot to learn.

#56 JJ

A few weeks ago you asked a contributor to this blog if s/he was dyslexic. I hope you will not be offended if I ask are you are autistic? Just curious.

#56 JJ

Lack of evidence is rarely a sound basis for an assertion. (I feel sure you know the story of the black swans in Australia).

Can you explain why you arbitrarily assumed I was unable to use google**?

Same question about logical terms.

I'm just puzzled ( since I can see no reason for you to think either).





**From your post:"Does your inability to use Google to learn how to use financial terms extend to not being able to learn how to use logical terms? "

13thMan (#57) "A few weeks ago you asked a contributor to this blog if s/he was dyslexic."

I recall asking someone if they were schizophrenic.

No I am not autistic.

#58 - I've already answered this one. It's in your posted verbal behaviour. Do yourself a favour: as you're anonymous, stop defending ignorance and try learning from instruction instead. What you're doing now does you no good.

Quineean/Popperian falsificationism is just extensionalism/empiricism. What purport to be analytic truths are just core, as yet unfalsified. empirical Observation Categoricals in our web of belief (see 'Two Dogmas of Empiricism' (1951). This applies to all that we think/believe.

JJ,

Do you believe that people can be discretely classifed in these sorts of terms: dyslexic, autistic, schizophrenic? Does this mean we are all in one or other of a binary state for these syndromes?

Anyway, this is all a big distraction from the real story of the moment:



I always thought he had shifty looking eyes.

Hawkeye_Pierce (#60) "Do you believe that people can be discretely classifed in these sorts of terms: dyslexic, autistic, schizophrenic? Does this mean we are all in one or other of a binary state for these syndromes?"

Not exactly, but DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 are improvements over what we had in the past, and in time we will iterate on better classifications given better genetic and other biological measures along with more extensional assays of behaviour. There is a trend towards seeing psychopathologies as extremes of continuua, i.e as extremes of the Big-5 normal personality factors. So yes, one could say that we all have some of these (sub-clinical) qualities to some extent. DSM-IV-TR/ICD-10 requires that a set number of characteriscs be obseravble for a diagnosis to be made, and by someone with professional training/experience.

#59 re. #58
"Can you explain why you arbitrarily assumed I was unable to use google**?

Same question about logical terms."

It seems to me you have made some arbitrary assumptions.For example, why do you assume I am "unable to use google to learn how to use financial terms". I am not aware of any evidence you could have seen. I am sure I have posted nothing at any time that could lead you to such a conclusion. Can you explain it please?

#59
" stop defending ignorance and try learning from instruction instead"

I assume you had a reason for saying that. Can you tell me please?

May I suggets you do yourself a favour. Go for a walk. It is not as dangerous out there as it seems, just a little scary perhaps.

13thMan (#63) "I assume you had a reason for saying that. Can you tell me please?"

You don't need to understand the reason, you just need to do as instructed and observe the consequences.

That's a fundamental principle in Behaviour Analysis.

#65
"You don't need to understand the reason, you just need to do as instructed and observe the consequences.

That's a fundamental principle in Behaviour Analysis."


You are weirder than I had imagined. Perhaps better to stay in.

13thMan (#65) "You are weirder than I had imagined. Perhaps better to stay in."

You have just demonstrated that a) you don't know the first thing about Behaviour Analysis and b) that you find learning more difficult than one might have expected given some of what you've said in much earlier posts.

I don't think cups of tea, or the odd walk are going to make much difference to what I've said is so wrong out there.

On the other hand, perhaps you should seriously consider whether your approach to problem-solving is precisely why things are going downhill so fast?