大象传媒

NICK IS GIVING US PEOPLE-POWER - HURRAH!

I didn't catch it all.

DID HE MENTION THE EU YOKE?

I HE ABOLISHING THE WHIP? We have little power over our MP if not. That's how we got the war!

RIDER TO #1

If MP recall (by x% of constituents) is put in place, does it not follow that x% (or perhaps y%) should be able to tell the bugger NOT TO VOTE FOR A TONY/IDS WAR, at some point in the Golden Davenik future?

Whatever - it will all go awfully well.

Hugh Pym on the 大象传媒 news at 1 today singularly failed to explain why naked short selling has been stopped in Germany and went on to say that stopping it created a slide on the Euro. Merkel has done the correct thing, THE problem is no one else has. And Peston is just as bad on his blog!

WHY didn't the 大象传媒 explain to the public - naked short selling and CDS's ? Is Nick Clegg going to offer up naked short selling and CDS's to the public for banning because we sure as heck are not getting any where with the 大象传媒 being impartial and showing the truth of the matter ?

"Nick Clegg is making a speech shortly on the new politics. Hes also likely to be asked about growing strains over the Human Rights Act. There are also rumblings on the Tory right about Capital Gains Tax and fox hunting."

If David Davis is positioning himself for a go at Cameron in a few years I think he won't have enough support and there does seem to be an appropriately ruthless streak in Cameron and Clegg.

If they threaten the coalition they threaten the economic recovery and political stability.

Fox hunting is not something I am for but then I am for controlling fox populations - but it does polarize and should probably be a free vote.

As for AV it does not go far enough but when the public start to see the arguments for and against fairer votes and that it does mean that they are more likely to have their aspirations recognised than to simply rubber stamp the next remote elite it may start the ball rolling towards PR.

I am utterly for an elected House of Lords - but what will it then be called and what will it do?

To me constitutional monarchy is utterly outdated and though the Royals do a fine job we should be moving towards a classless society, a Republic,a written constitution and checks and balances on power so that those such as St Blair of Iraq cannot treat the military as a toy.

Do we put our Newsnight presenters on a pedestal. Do the Paxman groupies have a point in their assertion that some NN presenters are worthy of the praise. Is the presenting of a news program really a craft? maybe so but you could easily argue that its just years of practice, your window cleaner would also be a craftsman if one applies that simple logic. We can be guilty in believing that someone who is in front of the camera has earned that right due to good works and a dedication to the journalistic profession. Is Paxman-God like and worthy of the praise and his big salary? I choke at the salaries the 大象传媒 award to their talent but have never got worked-up over Paxmans pay. Why? well there ain't nobody else quite like him, he has no real competition, the 大象传媒 are fortunate in having him presenting the News flagship program and for all these years but I do find the moist heavy praise from the ladies slightly unbecoming..but then, Kirsty Wark - a woman 10yrs my senior - gets my full attention, can't quite put my finger on why that is, and trust me, I can afford to be picky. The worlds falling apart and I've just discovered I'm a groupie..great!

Did anyone else notice that as Nick was doing his speech today on TV that included a promise to increase our our freedom and civil liberties that behind him though the window an "unelected" security guard was trying to move on a member of the public who was legally standing behind him on a public footpath just watching.So much for freedom hey Nick ?

The Korea situation is I assume very serious but then the North usually seems to bluster and back down.

But this time can the South allow a precedent and how long before there are further serious confrontations that could escalate unexpectedly.

Its never been a dull watch for Obama has it?

Meanwhile he has to try and calm Arizona down and handle the near failed state Mexico with its utterly ruthless gangs that are, according to the UK press, impacting into Liverpool crime areas.

Oh and the oil is still leaking, you inherited a duff economy and a few wars.

Enjoy. But then that's why he became President I suppose.

Please sign my e petition against the change in Parliamentary Voting Rules at GoPetition if you agree. Please use the fshare button on the petition to send it to your friends

Please sign my e petition against the change in Parliamentary Voting Rules at GoPetition Please use the fshare button on the petition to send it to your friends

I have yet to hear whether there will be a change in policy on all terrorism - that is the obvious al Qaeda threat and of course the threat of far right extremists who have in recent years harboured many threats and attempts to bomb and any other whacko's.

Latterly there was the jolly North East England Aryan Strike Force feller who was stocking up on ricin for a terrorist campaign.

Its not about race, or religion or even politics its about there being effective links to the community that will signal the presence of violent fanatics in their midst who could cause mayhem.

What will we have next - betting on posts sent to the moderators being removed or allowed through - a futures market on that maybe ?

What do you bet its already happening ? What do you bet the mods are insider dealing on it ? Crikey don't short sell me on that.

What do you bet this one is going to be removed or allowed through ?

#5 - Yes Im afraid I turn into naughty boy when Kirsty is on - if I spy her bra the fire brigade are called to put me out.

IN NEED OF RODDING THOUGH AND A CAUSTIC SCOUR (#5)

Your brain is in a bad way Kev. Paxo's default mode is infantile and Kirsty is, all too often, incoherent. I am in no doubt there ARE window cleaners who could do the job, in an adult way and with fine diction.

But that's not important right now.

I, long ago, hypothesised that the TV screen - by virtue of its 'place' in the family home, and the attention afforded - is the ALPHA BEING of the group, in animal terms. I further conjecture that, by virtue of the above, IT BYPASSES COGNITIVE FILTERS of the cerebrum, and TALKS DIRECTLY TO THE ANIMAL IN US ALL. This would explain a great deal of the ills of modern society AND WHY SIMPLY TO BE SEEN REGULARLY in the 'Alpha Spot', tricks our animal into assuming this is a superior beast. QED

DECKCHAIRS (#8)

In my view, choosing one voting systems over another, within the 'Westminster Lie' ('New Westminster Lie' if you wish) invokes the proverbial deckchairs.

As I have raised in other posts: with 'recall' can we also have 'direction' (of our MPs voting) where the constituency 'whips' their MP? Thought not. And yet, it is analogous to - and must be more democratic than - PARTY whipping?

Do away with parties and much of this disappears. Select home-grown MPs for their INTEGRITY, and proper governance BY DEFAULT is within sight.

SPOILPARTYGAMES

WASHINGTON HILL BILLIES

#7 Go1
"....Oh and the oil is still leaking,..."

The oil is still leaking (yep - it's a very hostile environment out there deep sea)and once unleashed that Black Gold is determined to stay free.

The Obama administration wants to halt ALL drilling exploration for the forseeable.

But hey, the PEOPLE still want to race around in gas guzzler motors, fly about the world and generally benefit from all the processed oil available.

Der.........3 into 2 = ???????? Answers on a postcard please.

#3 flicks

Extremely good point, and I'm afraid the mainstream media will fail to put forward anyone sensible to explain the rationale. Pesto's blog is rampant with much confusion on the subject, especially over the distinction between "Naked short selling" and short-selling.

The "Naked" aspect refers to no underlying asset changing hands. It is merely ficticious leverage, which can actually be used to manipulate prices rather than "predict" future prices.

Germany plans to halt the "naked" aspects, and not just on bonds but also other instruments where the originator either has no involvement in the underlying asset (i.e. a CDS with no insurable interest) or is unable to fulfil actual delivery of the asset (e.g. bank manipulation of gold prices via naked shorts beyond intent or ability to deliver):



Courtesy of Stacy Herbert: "for every short sale there is a corresponding long, so this is a genuine market and bans on short sales are, therefore, stupid; once it is clear that the ban is on 'naked' shorts only, there is naturally a different assessment; as Max Keiser says, naked shorts do not have corresponding naked longs; you cannot place a naked long and so it is not genuine liquidity they are providing"

Worst still a naked short is tantamount to counterfeiting. And as for naked CDSs, well therein lies the mother of all Moral Hazards.

What the media won't explain is that Merkel finally woke up to the following fact "Today you can break a country, you don't need money you just need synthetic euroshorts or CDS":

#4

gango

Have you read Jeremy's book 'On Royalty'? Having been of similar opinion to yours, after looking at length at the British and a few other European Constitutional Monarchies, he changed his views and came to the conclusion that countries having one seemed the most stable which doesn't mean, however, that there isn't a case for an electable Lords or Senators.

The book is very readable - very informative on one hand and on the other in large parts entertainig.

mim

UK COMPLICITY - KINDNESS TO STRANGERS (#11)

I'll wager a bent Euro that if I expanded my title to an ironic comment on Britain's Sham heart (and its semi-eponymous champion) where Johnnie Foreigner's pain is concerned, the Blogdog would get me. So I wont.

Info on AV voting.
Arguments used against AV. It can be less proportional than First-Past-the-Post.It does very little to improve the voice of traditionally under-represented groups in parliament, strengthening the dominance of the 'central' viewpoint.There is no transfer of power from party authority to the voters.It is prone to a certain amount of 'Donkey voting', where voters rank candidates randomly, not knowing enough about all of them to make an informed decision.Under certain circumstances, a shrewd voter can get a better result by lying. If, for example, it is known that the contest will be fought between two strong candidates, supporters of one might rank third parties above the other, even if the other is technically their second choice. See Wikipedia's worked example.In a broadly three-way race, where there are two strong parties who actively dislike each other and a third 'compromise' candidate sitting in between, the compromise candidate is likely to be defeated in the first round, despite the fact that they could well be the most universally acceptable option

For info on AV voting good and bad go to

#5 kevseywevsey

"but I do find the moist heavy praise from the ladies slightly unbecoming..but then, Kirsty Wark - a woman 10yrs my senior - gets my full attention, can't quite put my finger on why that is, and trust me, I can afford to be picky."

Yeah I can see that if she was in to apple blondes and you snapped your fingers (its not difficult) she would come running.

Ah I can just see the two of you throwing bottles at the "British Army" as you said you used to do in Belfast!

I suppose English "Nationalists" chat mostly about racial issues and Geli Raubal so on.

Right up her street I am sure.

#15 brightyangthing

"The Obama administration wants to halt ALL drilling exploration for the forseeable."

I hope that's true but I think the first statement he made referred only to the Gulf and DIDN'T refer to new permissions he had granted on the Atlantic coast and ... off Alaska.

But you are probably right as I gather they have been tearing through the oil drilling sites and finding many had started before they had permission and I know that they are re-jigging the regulation that has clearly been too lax so you may be right.

Personally I don't think he has made a bad call but this one on extending offshore drilling - and that was probably to try and get a climate change bill through.

Jon Stewart covered it very nicely when he suggested the problems on the rig that blew up were down to a battery - what did they do take it for the TV remote?

So BP get a severe loss of reputation and billions of pounds to pay out and the Brits get to think about what could possibly go wrong down in the South Atlantic.

Lets hope they take lots of spare batteries with them and given UN rules on disputed waters either they give up the idea or go to an International Court to fully and finally resolve it.

We should be on the flight away from carbon and not taking chances in pristine waters.

#16 - Yes when I saw that Rickards piece it really gets at the insane place modern finance is at.

whats all that about Bras? Bah! We'll have none of that talk on here this is a respectable brothel.....

#24 - Kirsty and Arianna Stassinopoulos = major yummy nummy

@ Gango #4 - Oh dear, oh dear......Clegg's days seem numbered indeed - from supporting the decision not to deport the alleged AQ operative, to threatening anyone who wanted to interfere with the "Human Rights Act" to tax hikes, and the ommision of a free vote on the fox hunting ban. Roll on new elections in 6-18 months.......

As for abolishing the House of Lords - it is already in decline thanks to Blair, when he cut the amount of hereditary Lords and replaced them with his own cronies (life peers). By replacing the House of Lords, which is independent of any political partisanship, and putting in their place any life peer who will vote with the government, the House of Lords will become a farce and nothing more than a government mouthpiece. The First Past the Post System has been in operation since 1920. Why change it? Britain has had a coalition government before! As for replacing the Monarchy - NEVER! Why should we replace the Royal Family? And who would you replace it with? President Cameron/Clegg?


@ Barrie #13 & 14 - Kev's brain is very well indeed :o) Although I agree with voting for an MP because of their integrity/values etc, the problem is, you'll have a lot of independent MPs. Will they all unite and ultimately form 1 party, or will it result in chaos and nothing being done as no-one has party backing?

@ Stevie #24 - Very respectable ;o)

BYT

- being taken for a ride while making oneself feel better
- making money out of somebody's misery, i.e. running a prostition ring
- false promises

are the worst and not easily forgivable

I wonder how Ecolizzy is doing? We haven't heard from her for some time.

KEV'S BRAIN (#26)

You bin pokin' about in there then 76?

3. At 1:35pm on 19 May 2010, flicks wrote:

大象传媒 taking the side of the vested interests and ganging up on our German friends? Whatever next?

The Euro was due to fall in exchange currency value anyway - perhaps someone should remind Hugh Pym about the PIIGS and worse still - that funny shaped island off the north west coast of France that is run by the Scots, Irish and non dom investors

The City of London and its potential contagion is still the biggest risk to the Eurozone finances - perhaps someone can explain this to the 大象传媒 that the UK has the biggest % debt/deficit in the Euroland and the largest concentration of hedge funds with their mysterious hidden but massive transactions.

The Germans are trying to tell us something - they have been very measured with their statements and suggestions - perhaps we should try listening for a change?

#30 nautonier

Hear, hear!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Am I to believe Ed Balls is not a 'left-wing' candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party?

I say this, as both Jon Snow and Huw Edwards have referred to 'Ed Balls anouncing his candidacy as well as the left wing [my emphasis] John McDonnell'. Am I to believe I have not just suffered 13 years of a 'left-wing' - nee 'Communist' - government, of which Ed Balls was a chief apparatchik?

..............
So, Mr. Clegg has spent his political life fighting to open up politics, has he? What was he doing in the E.U., then?

Me at 32
Mod, I was only saying howdi to Go1...well, I thought it was funny.

From tonight鈥檚 Nn ....

Oh Boy!

The Lib Dims are seriously, but all too seriously, out of their depth!

Any bets - when the time is right - as to the Nu Cons willingness to offer an oxygen (nitrox?) tank?

With Lib Dim advisors such as 鈥楲arry鈥� on Nn tonight ....

President Clogg may well soon be changing his name by deed poll to ....

President Glug - glug - glug!

And what is it that some posters on here keep 鈥榖anging on about鈥� ....

鈥淕ive them a chance!鈥�

??????

Are you seriously, but all too seriously, joking?


How ironic that the first cuts under this dictatorship, notably in the best interests of the nation, may well be at Lib Dims HQ?

As part of those economies will the Lib Dims be obliged to reduce their HQ nameplate to read just ....

Dims?






P.S. Good to see the proper 鈥渁pproach鈥� adopted by Sir J tonight regarding 55 per cent and 鈥榮hort money鈥�.

More 鈥榞oing for the throat鈥� please, as we don鈥檛 get the chance to ask the questions that need to be asked!

Perhaps the new 2012 Olympic mascots are reminiscent of a pair of stray sperm ?

Angela Merkel makes the common mistake of confusing 'Europe' with the 'European Union', like they all do.

This is the root cause of so much of the harm the E.U. inflicts on us.

DAMNED RIGHT STRUG ME OLD MUCKER (#33)

I was asking the self same question, not an hour ago. Didn't see a revolution in EU governance under Young Nick's influence, did we!

Do you get the feeling he is being given enough rope to get knotted?
Poor Nick - a BIT of his idealism is REAL, but Dave is total PR and ruthless. The Tory machine will destroy Nick, sure as EU rule will emasculate the lot of them.

Can the Big Society do anything?

NO WE CAN'T

Come on, Jeremy - surely by now you know the phrase is 'trooping the colour' not 'trooping OF the colour'!!! I understand you're not a royal correspondent, but even news hacks should comprehend this one.....

Fabulous debate by Jeremy with Lamb, who failed to persuade anyone why the Lib Dems should get taxpayers money which is only intended for parties in opposition. Glad to see Cash on as well, who talked some sense. Also interesting analysis on North Korea with Pritchard. Hilarious report by Stephen Smith too :o)

#39

'Trooping OFF the colour' - fainting in the sun - get it?

BYT

I think all the authorities I mentioned this morning, as well as others that seem to be following the events and the correspondence, need a few days at least to digest things which are looking promising despite the seriousness of the situation.

mim

I'm mot sure why some MPs insist that a fixed term Parliament would in any way restrict their 'freedom'.

'Freedom' to do what?

Regardless of how long LibDems will survive the coalition, they have already made a substantial contribution to the future political life of this country.

M

ooops - mods, this should have been on this page, sorry for the unintended spam!

tonight's comments: on the LibDems attempting to maintain Tax-payer funding that is only offered to Opposition Parties, NOT Parties in a Coalition with MPs in most departments!:

nick clegg; what a shame that the people who voted for LibDem as the progressive alternative to the Cons, will not NOW be joining and paying subscription fees. It is ironic that no doubt Clegg and the other Big 3拢 will soon be arguing for tax-payer money "to survive", when they pay so little attention to the Public and what THEY want, which would increase their membership, AND the donations!

improve Democracy? Giving Parties that have NO public credibility, and thus no Public support, Public funds is demonstrably completely wrong - in a properly functional Liberal democracy, the Parties have to appeal enough to the People to get large scale membership, to fund themselves as Parties. It is NO improvement to pay old political parties to exist, it is certainly NO improvement to Democracy!

if Clegg had lived up to his promises of actually BEING progressive, the upsurge in membership and thus donation would have prevented this problem from arising! ...instead, the Liberal member of the CompCon has decided its better to *ignore* the hopes of the People, yet also take 拢Millions to pay its bills. Or will we, as Crick asked, see "swinging cuts" at the actual Party headquarters themselves? Will our political masters demonstrate how honest they are about "sharing the pain around", please?

...if you're holding your breath, quickly look up on wiki what to do when you turn blue in the face... :/


#3: actually NN *did* give an episode with an accurate description of Short-selling, it was some months ago. I have the vague memory it was the French Finance Minister, looking very beautiful and persuasive. Or it could have been crick or mason, looking... ^_^ lol ;)

...well, 'persuasive', anyhoo. :whistles:


ROTFLMAO@#5 :lol: :wub:


#7: was North Korea able to properly feed its people under the sanctions imposed? To be entirely honest, i have absolutely no idea, nor how much corruption there is.

people *starved to death* in Iraq during the US enforced sanctions on Iraq.

what is actually happening there? I'm going to take the radical assumption i'm not being told the *entire* story from the media i watch. Shocking notion these days, eh? ;)

on removing "unpopular" new laws and crimes - could that possibly translate to "laws and crimes the Murdoch lobby want to have removed, for more devious ends than those they will openly argue in the tabloids?"

- or will these new initiatives prevent the Terrorism Laws being used to remove the rights of protesters? Or the continual criminalisation of those who sell sex, or soft recreational drugs? Anyone imagine the Tories will repeal the Prohibition Laws that have turned our cities into Gang territories, and prostitutes onto the streets fearful of their lives? Or is this just more high flown rhetoric whilst they attempt to skilfully gag any legitimate opposition forming?

me? I trust 'em. Ain't done me no nothing, nor told me no lies, no never. Think we should let them get on with it. Uh huh.


Alan Johnston: classic example of a right-winger trying to ramp up the right-wig vote. "Theresa May is looking again at the regulations concerning the DNA database - she's soft on crime". What utter BS. She MUST regard the UK's current regulation concerning the storage of innocent people's DNA, because the regulations under nuLabour were actually illegal under EU and UK civil rights laws. The British Courts had already ordered the Govt to comply. He, knowing this, can only be giving her the opportunity to reply "No we are not being "soft on crime", because we [the Tory Admin] are doing 'X'" - nearly always a major human rights violation, by coincidence. Lovely watching nasty people at work, isn't it? Was he in a safe seat last election?

800 cases solved using the database.

on the DNA database, aren't the LibDems *merely* desiring to follow the european directive on human rights?

a couple of interesting links on the DNA database:




--

#16 (going down the page slowly :) ): again, actually the NN team *did* explain all the jargon about "naked short selling", it is just they are often in short, unique pieces, once missed forever missed. Would be awesome to have central database (for once *in* the Public Interest!) where each clip/piece could be found. And rewatched.

sperm in condoms.

do you know what i'm talking about? lol! :)



also,

Mr Crick tonight mentioned Corfe Castle, and bearing in mind that the Tories have already argued in public (apparently?)for a change to more Land rather than Constituents-based electoral boundaries, this is quite an interesting read:




so cameron is actually a "centraliser", despite using the rhetoric of "local power". I'm glad i was sitting down as i read that. The idea that an elected representative of the People could lie to us is astounding! I would look to your lawyers tomorrow, if i were you Michael!!!?! :o

crick's "political fixes" (we know what he is talking about!) - see which press, and how they try, mange to misrepresent Crick's messages.

the "fixes"

1. changing the votes needed to make it harder to force a general election from 50 - 55%,
2. creating hundreds of new Lords to prevent Opposition in the Upper Chamber,
3. receiving tax-payer money for services already provided for that function by the Civil Services. (Are the LibDems going to answer that those tax-payer monies DID NOT go to their proper purpose, instead being used for Party funding!?!
4. forcing influential Tory back-bencher groups to have Ministers sitting. (bit like being forced to have a school prefect (a goody-two-shoes student who is toeing the Party line, and will report any 'bad comments' to the Teachers for punishment), sit in *every* group during school breaks and lunch-time. Its to prevent anyone moaning in public about proposed legislation, and to try to prevent opposition to said legislation forming. For Tory MPs, this has to be a MAJOR wake up call as to the amount of freedom they are intended to have under this new Executive. Betcha thought nuLabour was bad...


easier corp tax" - WHILST ALSO REDUCING THE NUMBER OF TAX OFFICES?OFFICERS!!!! What's to betting that this new "simplification" has two time-lapsed periods - the first, this new Govt claims that it will bring in more revenue from Corps, very loudly proclaimed, step 2, actually less revenue is collected from Corps, but this is never mentioned in the Mainstream press.

...is that cynicism again...? :/


-thank you bill cash.

it was frankly awesome for UK Democracy to see a Tory back-bencher, Bill Cash, lambast the Tory Govt and its LibDem Lapdogs for so completely running over the finer points of ESSENTIAL checks and balances in the UK system! He is the exact example of why George W Cameron and Adolf Clegg are so strenuously, if quietly, attempting to prevent ALL opposition, from the Country, from Parliament, or even from their own Parties. I doubt he and i would agree on many policies, but we share the firm belief in British Democracy, and the Institutions that defend it. Those institutions obviously DO need adaptation and evolution for today's World - but that does NOT mean allowing the current Govt to force through changes that will entirely - and intentionally - subvert the very basics of our Democracy.
Good for him! Norman Lamb is a disgrace to the Liberal Democrat Party, he has so very clearly trashed ANY political Idealism he may once had, to follow the Ideal of HIM being in Power!

We've already had "nuLabour", are we now seeing "CompCon"* and its secret - and not so secret - adherents to this new Regime?


*Compassionate Conservatism.



-Parliament can ALREADY end a Govt, right now it takes only 50%+1, the change is to make that right to end Govt now be increased to 55% of the MPs! For Norman Lamb to be claiming this "increases the powers of Parliament", is utter and complete garbage! Either he believes it in which case somehow he has spent all those cushy years in Parliament completely unaware of even basic tents of UK Democracy, or he has been so programmed with the "Party Line" he cannot even remember the reality of Yesterday - or else he is simply "lying through 'is teeth"!

there is a change to remove the PMs right to dissolve whenever they want, but the 55% change is *merely* to LIMIT Parliament's *right* to bring a Govt down!


THANK YOU BILL CASH!!!!!!! Superb arguments, as i said, i doubt we agree on much else, but we agree on the Right of Parliament to be the limit of a Govt, NOT that a Govt can change the voting rules to maintain its power indefinitely.


john mcdonald? I'd never hear of him before, here's my first interesting find:



looks good - to have an attempted savaging by the 'nuLeft' is quite indicative.


on the German ban on short-selling the Euro - the French will soon follow.

the french finance minister also likes it, she said so on NewsNight. Unless the official current French position is different to what her's was *then*, of course.


stephanie: - the markets are reacting with displeasure BOTH because of the new restrictions, which unilaterally prevent German speculators from betting on the failure of their own currency, and ALSO the lack of a deeper long term plan to deal with this financial crisis.

of course, any *serious* long term plan will also plunge "the markets" into major "depression" - as it is *their* lifestyles that will plummet back to reality under such a plan. :)

apart from that, especially at the end, a wonderfully crafted summary.

mascot addendum: OMFG - THEY'RE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS!!!

:O :O :O :O

-

#40: Lamb was quite hypnotic though, wasn't he?


ps at the mascots - NNs 'Dave and Nick' metaphor ('metaphoric unravelling'?) was better than mine. :D

YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK

None of Diane Abbot's 3 major attributes represent me. I cannot possibly support her candidacy.

"on the German ban on short-selling the Euro - the French will soon follow."

That would be Naked Short Selling -



Lagarde seemed clueless and or delusional on NN the other day.

#48 barrie: "YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK

None of Diane Abbot's 3 major attributes represent me. I cannot possibly support her candidacy."

You are too modest barrie:

Mature, Gifted and With The Knack - there where it's at!

Perhaps the new 2012 Olympic mascots are reminiscent of a pair of stray sperm ?

SEE YOUR SPERM AND RAISE YOU (#51)

They look more like DEFORMED sperm Bro. A consequence of over-preparation, and time-excreted drugs, taken while 'forgetting' to turn up for tests during training.

PRICELESS!

i'm always amazed that politicians need others to write their speeches for them? do they not understand their own craft? Did churchill use speech writers? of course not. is that why he is considered great and the modern lot forgettable?

the olympic logo and mascots proves the uk has no skill talent taste or competence in designing big projects.

art doesn't have rules? yes it does. the main one being it must be of benefit to the patient. if its merely cathartic for the performers then its not art but self indulgence masking as art.

given the current dominant pig philosophy that leads to a pig society no more example needs to be given of the detriment effects that has upon the ability to discriminate between good and bad than the olympic logo and the mascots.

#49: flicks, i noticed that too.

#51: brossen - and hiding within a condom as well. With a camera for a face.

ALL PART OF LIVING WITHIN THE LIE (#53)

I don't think you ARE amazed Jaunty - appalled, more like.

I have posted before that I have analysed transcripts of Blair speeches and found them bizarre. But we know who some of his speechwriters were - say no more.
HONOUR (there's a comical word)demands that if you did not write the words you spoke, THEY SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED. Not a chance. Westminster is still the seat of Britain's sickness. Until it is amputated the infection will lie (and lie) seeping.

Every word of this post is my own.

#53: churchill DID use speech-writers. The reason current politicos are so forgettable is that they are only genuinely "authentic" when they are arguing for a 'change' that will feather their own nests.

-although QT has sprung up many memorable mini-speeches in the last 2 years or so... the Leader of 'Respect' a few months ago, on the Afghanistan war was one such unexpected moment.

although, it has to be said, the Audience has generally been far better!!

#49 #51

Funny story, I heard on the news this morning that Goldman Sachs is shorting naked short-selling. How do they manage that? Any ideas?