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Old 2009-10-06, 00:18   Link #4201
LynnieS
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
The demise of the U.S. dollar for M.E. oil pricing
Quote:
In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.
Hmm, I can see why China and Japan would want this as these countries are heavily long USD, and with the producers in Russia and the Middle East, stability would be good, esp. since they are relying on the income to subsidize many parts of their countries. Russia also still sees itself as a world power (instead of a major regional one) as well.

1. Would China want to include the CNY in this? Go far enough down this path, and the yuan can become a reserve currency, which risks its holders using the currency to have a say in Chinese policies. Right now, the U.S. has to balance its words and actions to not cause problems - something China would need to do as well if this was to happen.

2. What's to protect the consumer countries? With pricing done in USD, you just have one country's decisions to deal with. With a basket of currencies, you have multiple countries, and at times, all of them can want different things.

3. If this was to happen, what would the U.S. do? ATM, I don't see the U.S. gracefully back out of the spotlight - and into the crowd - in the same way England did a couple of centuries ago.

4. France and no Germany? France, in Total, is big in this area globally, but Germany is, IMHO, bigger in terms of actual production of goods. You need German buy-in - not to mention Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries and South American ones - in the end.
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Old 2009-10-06, 07:18   Link #4202
solomon
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DC Council to Introduce Same Sex Marriage Bill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...?hpid=newswell

Fortunetly congress is distracted by actually important things. But already my local republican congressman Frank Wolf says he is against it. Honestly, when will DC residents wake up and realize they have no reason to be lorded over? It's not about gay marriage it's about integrity of law. And being in charge of your own destiny to the same amount that other jurisdictions are.

Why should someone who only waltzes in and works in the Downtown office then goes home have a say in what goes in a place where people have been living for generations? It's just not fair, unless DC-BASED opposition mounts against it no one should have a say in the private lives of otherwise decent DC citizens.

Im from suburban DC but are bitten by this too with the funding for our Metro rail system. We have to fenangle with people from Montana who never use the damn thing for money! It's not fair (although this is slightly different in legal troubles than the DC bill which is more flagrantly unjust in my opinon).
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Old 2009-10-06, 23:47   Link #4203
0utf0xZer0
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Man arrested for posting information on police movements at G-20 summit to Twitter.
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Old 2009-10-07, 00:07   Link #4204
Vexx
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This one intrigued me because... guess what? movements of the police in public is PUBLIC INFORMATION.

So what the hell are they going to charge him with? Interfering with police business? Oh, the court will have fun with that one...
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Old 2009-10-07, 01:11   Link #4205
Shadow Kira01
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Defense official gets reprimand over comments on refueling mission

Quote:
A parliamentary defense secretary received a reprimand from Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano on Wednesday for saying that Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean should be extended beyond January, a remark that stirred controversy as it contradicts the government's basic stance on the matter.

Hirano said at a press conference that he summoned the parliamentary secretary, Akihisa Nagashima, to the prime minister's office earlier in the day and told him to refrain from making comments concerning the contentious refueling mission while the government is trying to work out a policy on the matter.

Nagashima apologized to Hirano for causing a stir and told him to be careful about what he says in the future, according to Hirano.

Since earlier this month, Nagashima has repeatedly said Tokyo should explore avenues to keep the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission going by revising the existing law, which expires in January, to add some preconditions, namely requiring Diet approval before dispatching the SDF.

On the heels of his remarks, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Tuesday that "enacting a new law to continue the refueling mission is not an option," stressing there is no discord on that issue among members of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Cabinet.

Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada have said the government will not "simply extend" the noncombat mission in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan after the special law authorizing it expires Jan. 15.
This Afghan refueling mission has become quite a stir itself but nonetheless, providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans is a much better idea than refueling battleships when the entire Afghan mission itself was supposed to be helping Afghanistan rebuild from ruins. However, it seems that there is a wide range of perspectives on this issue.
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Old 2009-10-07, 06:35   Link #4206
SaintessHeart
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx View Post
This one intrigued me because... guess what? movements of the police in public is PUBLIC INFORMATION.

So what the hell are they going to charge him with? Interfering with police business? Oh, the court will have fun with that one...
Consolidating data with malicious intent on causing public disorder.

The things aren't really big, other than that "SWAT van rolling down Avenue X". The guy these MIBs are going to plug 20 rounds into might burn down your house or future tomorrow.

But seriously, both sides are equally retarded, with the anarchist being slightly more so.
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Old 2009-10-07, 18:22   Link #4207
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LynnieS View Post
The demise of the U.S. dollar for M.E. oil pricing
Hmm, I can see why China and Japan would want this as these countries are heavily long USD, and with the producers in Russia and the Middle East, stability would be good, esp. since they are relying on the income to subsidize many parts of their countries. Russia also still sees itself as a world power (instead of a major regional one) as well.

1. Would China want to include the CNY in this? Go far enough down this path, and the yuan can become a reserve currency, which risks its holders using the currency to have a say in Chinese policies. Right now, the U.S. has to balance its words and actions to not cause problems - something China would need to do as well if this was to happen.

2. What's to protect the consumer countries? With pricing done in USD, you just have one country's decisions to deal with. With a basket of currencies, you have multiple countries, and at times, all of them can want different things.

3. If this was to happen, what would the U.S. do? ATM, I don't see the U.S. gracefully back out of the spotlight - and into the crowd - in the same way England did a couple of centuries ago.

4. France and no Germany? France, in Total, is big in this area globally, but Germany is, IMHO, bigger in terms of actual production of goods. You need German buy-in - not to mention Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries and South American ones - in the end.
"a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council"

i will believed that when i see it, these guys can't even agree which knee go down first when praying.


Quote:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6865085.ece

“I got into the habit of paying for boys ... The profusion of young, very attractive and immediately available boys put me in a state of desire that I no longer needed to restrain or hide,” he wrote.
The autobiography, La mauvaise vie (The Bad Life), was a critically acclaimed bestseller in 2005 and Mr Mitterrand, 62, a popular television presenter, was praised for his honesty. It rebounded on him this week after he leapt to the defence of Roman Polanski, the filmmaker, who was arrested in Switzerland for extradition to face a Los Angeles court for having sex with a girl aged 13.

could someone form France explain to me how someone who admitted to visiting Thailand for sex with "little boys" got appointed to a cabinet position?
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Old 2009-10-07, 22:13   Link #4208
Quzor
It's the year 3030...
 
 
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Worldwide Surveillance and Filtering

This is a Q&A with Rafal Rohozinski, founder of OpenNet Initiative. They, apparently, study internet censorship practices, and attempt to quantify their benefit/detriment. At least, I think that's what they do; the language in this interview, and on the ONI website, is very convoluted.

Harvard's Robotic Bees Generate High-Tech Buzz

Yes, robotic bees...
Quote:
The RoboBee scientists will create robotic bees that fly autonomously and coordinate activities amongst themselves and the hive, much like real bees. They anticipate the devices will open up a wide range of discoveries and practical innovations, advancing fields ranging from entomology and developmental biology to amorphous computing and electrical engineering, the researchers stated.
NASA says 200-yard long Asteroid will miss Earth

Damn, and here I was, hoping to be around to usher in the new ice age. Oh well, maybe next time...
Quote:
The Apophis asteroid is approximately the size of two-and-a-half football fields and updated computational techniques and newly available data indicate the probability of an Earth encounter on April 13, 2036, for Apophis has dropped from one-in-45,000 to about four-in-a million, NASA stated.
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Old 2009-10-07, 22:18   Link #4209
Shadow Kira01
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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Japan's New Foreign Minister Considers Wider Alliances in Asia, US Ties

Quote:
On the issue of Okinawa's Futenma base, Okada disagrees with those who say the current U.S. and Japanese agreement should hold.

Under that plan 8,000 U.S. Marines will move from Okinawa to Guam while the U.S. builds a new facility to replace the Futenma air station. Futenma is in the crowded center of the island and is to be closed to reduce noise and congestion in the area.

Okada wants to review that plan before proceeding any further and say that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton understands that desire.
Afghan Taliban say they pose no threat to the West

Quote:
"We had and have no plan of harming countries of the world, including those in Europe ... our goal is the independence of the country and the building of an Islamic state," the Taliban said in a statement on the group's website www.shahamat.org.

"Still, if you (NATO and U.S. troops) want to colonize the country of proud and pious Afghans under the baseless pretext of a war on terror, then you should know that our patience will only increase and that we are ready for a long war."

Last edited by Shadow Kira01; 2009-10-07 at 22:30.
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Old 2009-10-08, 01:41   Link #4210
Anh_Minh
I disagree with you all.
 
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xellos-_^ View Post
could someone form France explain to me how someone who admitted to visiting Thailand for sex with "little boys" got appointed to a cabinet position?
I'm from France, and I can't even explain why they support Polanski.
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Old 2009-10-08, 02:05   Link #4211
mg1942
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xellos-_^ View Post

could someone form France explain to me how someone who admitted to visiting Thailand for sex with "little boys" got appointed to a cabinet position?

i can't wait 'till FOX news and their flagship Bill'O puts a spin on this
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Old 2009-10-08, 04:17   Link #4212
Shadow Kira01
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Seoul welcomes joint history book with Japan, but says will take time

Quote:
The foreign minister, in a speech to an association of foreign correspondents, was quoted as saying that it would be "ideal" for South Korea, Japan and China to jointly author history textbooks. Okada is the first Japanese official to come up with the idea, apparently to help resolve constant disputes over Japan's wartime past.
I wonder how this would work out..

Three countries, three official perspectives but only one textbook.

Obama unlikely to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki on Japan trip

Quote:
Obama's not visiting the two cities would be a disappointment for local residents, who were hoping that Obama would give impetus to moves toward abolition of nuclear weapons following his call earlier this year for the creation of a nuclear-free world.
Once again, Obama is going to skip Hiroshima and Nagasaki on his tight-scheduled trip, even though the Obama Administration is currently working with the Medvedev Administration of Russia at reducing nuclear weapons.
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Old 2009-10-08, 17:18   Link #4213
Narona
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xellos-_^ View Post
could someone form France explain to me how someone who admitted to visiting Thailand for sex with "little boys" got appointed to a cabinet position?
Mitterrand tried to defend himself on the TV today. He defended himself by saying that in his book he was not talking about minors. That people should not confuse homosexuality and pedophilia.

But, the medias really did go easy on him and didn't ask the right questions.

I wondered many things while listening to him, for example:

- Why bothering to go to Thaïlande if it was just to have sex with adult male prostitutes. I mean, he can find many here. I did watch documentaries about thailande, and most european who go there want to have sex with kids because it's forbidden in Europe.

- IMO, it doesn't match what is written in his book. His definition of "young boys" is really weird. Most people do a difference between "young boys" and "young men". He claims to be a good writer, so he knows that. That's very ambiguous, in a bad way, especially when you claim to go to Thailande while you can find male prostitutes here.

- The medias didn't seem to be shocked at all that a person from the governement does Sex tourism, and appreciates it. What a good example. Especially from the Minister of Culture.


He really wanted to be seen as a victim and tried hard. Some journalists spent the day in some TV programs to defend him. Now let's see what the public opinion thinks of that. We will know it in a few days.

He doesn't plan to leave the governement and didn't think he has done anything wrong. Including what he said about Polanski.

Last edited by Narona; 2009-10-08 at 17:53.
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Old 2009-10-08, 18:09   Link #4214
Kusa-San
I'll end it before April.
 
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Yup there is a vast and scandalous campaign for saving him....Many people will believe what he said when we know its not true I just want to vomit about this and your government....
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Old 2009-10-08, 22:03   Link #4215
LynnieS
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Location: China
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xellos-_^ View Post
"a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council"

i will believed that when i see it, these guys can't even agree which knee go down first when praying.
Have been super busy the past couple of days, but for this, a number of officials in various countries have come out to dispute the Independent's article recently. I haven't seen a retraction and/or apology from the news organization yet. Having a weak U.S. dollar is a no-no for many countries, though.
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Old 2009-10-08, 22:06   Link #4216
yezhanquan
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Age: 38
The process would be a slow one, but yeah, many countries are now trying to get themselves off the dollar. Only prudent, since the American basket is now no longer 100% safe. Those eggs could be placed elsewhere.
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Old 2009-10-09, 05:12   Link #4217
Kusa-San
I'll end it before April.
 
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

The committee highlighted Mr Obama's efforts to strengthen international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament.

There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize. Zimbabwe's prime minister and a Chinese dissident had been among the favourites.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm

How can someone receive the 2009 Nobel peace prize when he achieved nothing ?
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Old 2009-10-09, 05:42   Link #4218
Slice of Life
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kusa-San View Post
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm

How can someone receive the 2009 Nobel peace prize when he achieved nothing ?
In honor of his extraordinary achievement of not being George W. Bush. Or, as I've just read somewhere else: If Bush had also invaded Iran and North Korea additionally to Afghanistan and Iraq then Obama would get TWO Nobel Prizes now.
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Old 2009-10-09, 05:42   Link #4219
Cipher
.....
 
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kusa-San View Post
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm

How can someone receive the 2009 Nobel peace prize when he achieved nothing ?
Hey! I just watched this just *right now*! Barack Obama achieved something as great as world peace(perhaps without actually intending to do so): a "slash" at ethnic racism. Now, I don't know if this is enough for an AWESOME nobel peace prize. But well, he did something without him physically doing it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice of Life View Post
In honor of his extraordinary achievement of not being George W. Bush. Or, as I've just read somewhere else: If Bush had also invaded Iran and North Korea additionally to Afghanistan and Iran then Obama would get TWO Nobel Prizes now.
Didn't he(Obama) also "invaded" Iraq and Afghan?
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Old 2009-10-09, 05:57   Link #4220
Shadow Kira01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kusa-San View Post
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm

How can someone receive the 2009 Nobel peace prize when he achieved nothing ?
Obama has done a great job at promoting peaceful relations in the Middle East indicating that the anti-terrorism mission led by the United States does not mean hostility against the Islamic world. Obama has also been promoting nuclear weapon reduction along with Russian leader Medvedev, even though he isn't going to visit Hiroshima and Nagashiki. Aside from that, the Obama Administration is also working very hard at reaching an agreement with multiple nations on the issue of climate changes and environmental protection. The Obama administration has also been involved in promoting peace in Africa's latest election fraud, as well as trying to get both Iran and North Korea to denuclearize. Why does Obama not qualify for the Nobel Peace Prize? I think Obama is the right candidate to win this 2009 award.
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