The Off Topic Topic

[Zoupa]

If/when I become a British citizen, this is the oath I have to take:
'I (name) do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law.'

So it IS an oath of loyalty to a monarch. That kind of sucks. How can I maintain my republican views after that?

Do like 6 year old me, hide behind a fatty and refuse to open your mouth.

[Josquius]

Keep your fingers crossed whilst saying it.

But the more passports someone can get the better. I wonder what the record is.

[Agelastus]

Keep your fingers crossed whilst saying it.

But the more passports someone can get the better. I wonder what the record is.

Possibly eight.

https://2ndpassports.com/strange-case-mysterious-businessman-eight-passports/

[Syt]

Been to the military museum a bunch of times, but I kinda overlooked this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Intr%C3%A9pide

L'Intrépide ("The Intrepid") was a hydrogen balloon of the Compagnie d'Aérostiers (French Aerostatic Corps) and is the oldest preserved aircraft in Europe.[1]

L'Intrépide was the larger[2] of two observation balloons, the other being Hercule ("Hercules"), issued to the Aerostatic Corps in June 1795, twelve years after the pioneering hydrogen balloon flights of Professor Jacques Charles and the Robert brothers in Paris. These balloons were used by the Corps's first company attached to General Jourdan's Army of Sambre-et-Meuse in 1796. When that army was defeated by Austrian forces at the Battle of Würzburg on 3 September 1796, the balloon was captured and taken to Vienna, where it is now on display at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum.

The balloon's silk envelope is roughly spherical and has a diameter of 9.8 metres (32 ft). Its wooden gondola is very small, measuring 1.14 metres (45 in) by 0.75 metres (30 in) and its railing has a height of 1.05 metres (41 in).[2] The hull displayed in the museum is a replica, with the original displayed in a glass box nearby.

[The Brain]

I remember seeing it.

[Admiral Yi]

Question for the shysters:

What does "derivative action" mean?

I got this 15 page thingy in the mail because I own AGNC stock (REIT that buys government agency bonds) and I can't figure out who is trying to get money from whom.

[The Brain]

Box office success.

[The Minsky Moment]

Derivative action means it is a lawsuit brought in the name of a corporation. Any existing shareholder can bring the suit but they are just the "named" plaintiff.  Any recovery of money goes to the company, not to the named individual.  It is a common way to bring claims that officers and directors were disloyal or ripped off the company - because obviously you can't count on the bad guys to cause the company to sue themselves.   There are some hurdles to jump through to prevent abuse or improper use as in theory any shareholder no matter how small can cause the case to be brought.

Plaintiff's lawyers like them because in most states they are entitled to collect their fee out the corporate recovery.

[Admiral Yi]

Thanks.  Do I need to do anything?

[The Minsky Moment]

No if the plaintiffs succeed you will benefit in the sense that the company will get $$ in but you will not personally get anything.  If you got a notice, it's likely the defendants agreed to a settlement.  You have the right to show up in Court to object to the settlement if you wanted to, but you don't need to do anything.

[Syt]

[Habbaku]

Yikes.

[alfred russel]

So a friend of mine brought this up...I thought it was an interesting idea regarding death...

The human mind defines human life. When it stops, we die. For example, if decapitated, the human mind briefly continues to function. It quickly slows its functions until they cease. For example, plot y = 1/x, with y being brain function and x being time. x=1 is normal brain function and the point of departure for an event of death.

We never conceive the point of death (or zero brain function) for obvious reasons (in the mathematical construct, x never reaches infinity). However, as brain function slows, so does our perception of time, and we effectively remain in the moment of our death for eternity.

[Liep]

CIA
@CIA
While eating in Denmark, it is customary to keep one's hands visible even when resting. So, wrists are often laid on the table.

What? I mean, who keeps their hands under the table?

[The Brain]

I can't stop messing with the danger zone.