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#1
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Barrister - Today at 02:55:17 PMI just ran across this story - it's awesome. In 1955 an onion farmer / commodity trader Vincent Kosuga managed to corner the US market on onions. He bought almost every onion available for sale in the US, started selling them at ridiculous prices and made a small fortune. He then proceeded to short onions (since his vast collection of onions was beginning to spoil), flooded the market with onions, and made a second fortune on his short positions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Kosuga
https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market
Congress responded by banning the sale of onion futures - a ban which remains to this day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Kosuga
https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market
Congress responded by banning the sale of onion futures - a ban which remains to this day.
#2
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Josquius - Today at 02:39:51 PMApparently?
Just going off what you're saying here but it sounds like "officially we totally snub you but in reality we recognise we have some very serious shit to talk about" "
Just going off what you're saying here but it sounds like "officially we totally snub you but in reality we recognise we have some very serious shit to talk about" "
#3
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Josquius - Today at 02:36:30 PMThe trouble with the talk of a firewall against anti semitism, as great as it sounds in theory, when you think about it in detail raises lots of questions.
The very definition of anti semitism is under attack at the moment with loads of attempts to paint any criticism of Israel as anti semitic, then there's the varying interpretations of Palestine will be free....
I can't see an absolute zero tolerance on anti semitism being practical as if manage to get rid of the nuts screaming death to the Jews the opposition groups will just find something else to insist is anti semitism.
I'd hope there'd come a level where what they're doing would be recognised and disregarded, but I don't rate the chances. And the practicalities of even getting to that point.... It'd be tough.
I suppose it is better to say you have zero tolerance on anti semitism but obviously be fighting a doomed battle to enforce that to the satisfaction of some as opposed to saying nothing on the topic. Getting rid of the most overt examples would be a win all round even if some wouldn't recognise it.
But still. They're in a tough place.
The very definition of anti semitism is under attack at the moment with loads of attempts to paint any criticism of Israel as anti semitic, then there's the varying interpretations of Palestine will be free....
I can't see an absolute zero tolerance on anti semitism being practical as if manage to get rid of the nuts screaming death to the Jews the opposition groups will just find something else to insist is anti semitism.
I'd hope there'd come a level where what they're doing would be recognised and disregarded, but I don't rate the chances. And the practicalities of even getting to that point.... It'd be tough.
I suppose it is better to say you have zero tolerance on anti semitism but obviously be fighting a doomed battle to enforce that to the satisfaction of some as opposed to saying nothing on the topic. Getting rid of the most overt examples would be a win all round even if some wouldn't recognise it.
But still. They're in a tough place.
#4
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Jacob - Today at 02:29:14 PMApparently Xi met with Blinken now, which is the opposite of a snub.
#5
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 02:08:31 PMThe plague is spreading.
#6
Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread
Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 02:07:25 PMQuote from: Eddie Teach on Today at 01:06:17 PMFor All Mankind and Foundation are both on Apple. Decent entertainment.
Also Ted Lasso, Severance, Masters of the Air and Silo.
All of which are also worth the price of admission.
#7
Off the Record / Re: NHL Hockey thread
Last post by HVC - Today at 02:05:14 PMLawyer beaten and left in an alley, News at 11
#8
Off the Record / Re: Grand unified books thread
Last post by Savonarola - Today at 02:03:26 PMI read EM Forster's "Howards End." It took me a long time to get through because, about 100 pages in, I realized that the Schlegel sisters were about a silver cow creamer shy of being a PG Wodehouse novel and I took a break to read the Psmith stories. 
While I can understand the disdain Forster feels for the Wilcoxes; I found his admiration for the Schlegels (even if it's couched in ironic terms) baffling. I think that's a common sentiment among Americans, the aforementioned PG Wodehouse was much more successful here than he was in the United Kingdom. Still a fine portrait of Edwardian England though. I liked the way that suburbanization plays the same role in this novel that industrialization does in the works of Hardy and Eliot; the unstoppable force that remakes rural England.
While I can understand the disdain Forster feels for the Wilcoxes; I found his admiration for the Schlegels (even if it's couched in ironic terms) baffling. I think that's a common sentiment among Americans, the aforementioned PG Wodehouse was much more successful here than he was in the United Kingdom. Still a fine portrait of Edwardian England though. I liked the way that suburbanization plays the same role in this novel that industrialization does in the works of Hardy and Eliot; the unstoppable force that remakes rural England.
#9
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Oexmelin - Today at 01:47:31 PMHello, old friend.
#10
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by Jacob - Today at 01:21:58 PMSaw a good post on reddit that boiled down to something like:
It is typical in the US for public trust in the Supreme Court to be partisan. I.e. when the court comes out more progressive you'll have (rough numbers for illustrative purposes) 70% of Democrats trusting it and only 30% Republicans for a 50% trust rating (leaving out independents at this point).
The current court has the expected low level of trust from Democrats at 20% or whatever, because it's a very reactionary GOP court. However, in spite of it being a reactionary court, it did not support Trump's attempt to overthrow the election and drew a few hard lines against him in the past, which has suppressed support among Republicans and it's closer to 40% than the "normal" 70%, so therefore the overall approval rating is really low.
It is typical in the US for public trust in the Supreme Court to be partisan. I.e. when the court comes out more progressive you'll have (rough numbers for illustrative purposes) 70% of Democrats trusting it and only 30% Republicans for a 50% trust rating (leaving out independents at this point).
The current court has the expected low level of trust from Democrats at 20% or whatever, because it's a very reactionary GOP court. However, in spite of it being a reactionary court, it did not support Trump's attempt to overthrow the election and drew a few hard lines against him in the past, which has suppressed support among Republicans and it's closer to 40% than the "normal" 70%, so therefore the overall approval rating is really low.