Random Thoughts Thread #3

Agree, we are that arrogant but I was trying for thought disregarding those like religion, man, scientist etc, politics, hunters etc.
Just purely on the idea to see evolution in work rewriting "ourselves". The chimps posses the attributes needed to reestablish a possible new species mimicking "ourselves" but not in the same fashion, obviously. And if this would be possible, what would that say about our current idea of reality?

 

xenxan.......do you see how viscious chimps can be? Well, I guess mankind can be that, too....looking around....

anyway, i wish I had a piece of blueberry pie I had this weekend...out of this world....loaded with blueberries and the best pie crust ever.....I hear there is a farm that sells these 50 miles away and I may have to take a trip sometime soon for one of the blueberry pies. I hear the peach and cherry ones are out of this world, too......best pie I ever had.....and I liked a chopped kale, walnut and cranberry salad I had this weekend.....those were my two favorite things. Did you eat anything good?

 

Someone made cupcakes, too, and i had to pass after one bite...as I tasted margarine in it and I cannot stomach anything with margarine in it. I just said i was too full to finish.

 

On July 4th we went to the esplanade concert in Boston along with a crowd estimated at 400,000. There’s just something about being in the center of large crowds that I love.

Any way after the fireworks it was so surreal walking along the banks of the Charles River as the smoke from the fireworks hung in the air reflecting off the city lights.




Hotwater

 

Hello,

Dutch pirates are still the best.

Regards
Gyro

 

Mother Merkel is coming to Sarajevo on Wednesday.
Do you think she likes burek? Or cevapcici?
Maybe she'll say something about Srebrenica.

 

Hello,

hmmnomnom, I would trade mutti for a burek.

I doubt it.

Regards
Gyro

 

Okay, I should get back to finishing this essay.
It is so difficult to write something when you're not really interested in the topic.

 

Why do you doubt it? Am curious.

I could also go for a burek now.

 

Hello,

because she could come in a situation where a clear opinion is needed.

A little snack would be nice, indeed.

Regards
Gyro

 

Hmmm we shall see.
She'll be here on 8th, and the anniversary is on 11th.

Anyways, I guess it doesn't really matter much now. No one said or did anything in 1995, so now it's just ehhhh.
I was just being curious, as I'm rather fond of Angela.

 

I'm rather fond of cevapcici. With the timing she's got to say something.

 

Can you find good cevapcici in NY? :-D

 

In Astoria for sure. There's still a sizable Croatian community there. I know and love cevapcici primarily from Germany.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4u_IpCvXE


Okay, I'm done with this gruesome topic for today.

The first man says some really interesting, sad things.

 

Yeah Chimps are viscous and i gather we where at that stage as well and considering the current trend, we Humans are far worse then just fighting off a rival male.

There is a story in regards to a troop of Baboons that learned that violence was not good and actually changed their culture after an outbreak that killed of the old Alpha males. Maybe we "smart" humans can learn something (no not killing our bosses, although).

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/can-animals-save-us/warrior-baboons-give-peace-a-chance

Nothing yummy but i did make a good cup of java, as it has been cold and rainy here for a few days. My son is temperamental, he likes what he likes and that's it. At least it is relatively healthy and we have "have what you want" days on Wed and Saturday, so i can make something like a curry and he can have what he wants (usually cereal or pizza). I also allow him to pick our outing for the day and i follow him around. It gives him a chance to be responsible and do what he would like instead of what I say. Gotta compromise lol
It seems like a marriage sometimes lol

 

I love curry, Xenxan....

Baboons are smarter than most of us then?
Amazing.....

 

Ok I can understand how a couple of kids in Boston can stumble across unused fireworks and blow off their hands but Devon isn’t 5 or 9 years old he’s 22


Devon Staples (22) from Calais Maine was enjoying a Fourth of July party with friends when he got the idea to place "a [reloadable] fireworks mortar tube on his head and set it off," according to a report from the [SIZE=14.6666669845581px]Bangor Daily News[/SIZE]. He had allegedly been drinking with friends at the outdoor party prior to the incident.

[SIZE=11pt]Maine state police said that friends tried to stop Devon Staples from performing the fatal stunt, but they failed. When the man lit the fireworks, he died instantly. Spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety Stephen McCausland explained[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Hotwater[/SIZE]

 

I will respectfully disagree.

Let’s start by taking a basic look at the Greek economy. Greece is not a rich country. Their current GDP per capita at exchange rate values is approximately $21,000, and at purchasing power parity (PPP) is approximately $25,000 (both are measured in USD). This puts them closer to China (GDP per capita (PPP) of approximately $13,000), a country where nearly half the population still lives in small farming villages, than it does to Germany (GDP per capita (PPP) of $45,000). Because GDP per capita is roughly equivalent to national income, we should expect that incomes in Greece will be less than half of those in Germany (although this can be skewed by factors within countries such as different income distributions).
Greece is relatively poor, but the government doesn’t spend like it is. Last year Greece’s government budget was approximately 90 billion euros, approximately 50 percent of GDP, although at the height of the crisis it was as high as 120 billion euros. Government revenues are roughly 86 billion euros, resulting in budget deficit of approximately 4 billion euros or 3 percent of GDP. With a population of 11 million, this is the equivalent of borrowing over a thousand euros, per person, per year. And this has gone on a long time – Greece has not registered a budget surplus since approximately 1980, although it came close in 1990 and in 2006.

What has Greece done with this money? Military spending in Greece is much higher than its European counterparts. Greece spends approximately 2.5% of its GDP on the military. Germany, for the sake of comparison, spends approximately 1.3% of its GDP on the military. Greece spends a significant amount of money maintaining extremely generous social welfare benefits. For example, civil servants in Greece employed before 1992 can retire after 35 years of service, if they have reached the age of 58, on 80% of their final basic salary. Germany, in contrast, insists on 40 years of service and sets the pension rate in the low 70% range of basic salaries. The maximum pension payment in Greece is €2538; in Germany, it is €2100. Because the parties that have borrowed this money are democratically elected, the responsibility for this excess spending ultimately falls on them, not the IMF.
Despite relatively generous benefits, Greek revenues are small due to widespread tax avoidance. While the economic elite bear some of the responsibility, working and middle class individuals also frequently withhold tax payments. The black market in Greece is estimated at 25% of GDP (compared to 13% in Germany). While travelling in Greece, nearly every hostel only accepted cash. On Crete, nearly every house has rebar sticking out of the roof – because if the house is under construction, you do not need to pay property taxes. In Athens, pool covers are mostly green so that they do not show up in aerial photographs which the government uses to assess luxury homes. This tax avoidance is ultimately a huge part of the government deficit and the blame falls squarely on Greek citizens, not the IMF.

Many people claim that the IMF is profiting heavily from Greek suffering, but I don’t agree with that either. The IMF has been charging Greece an effective interest of 3.6% - but this rate is significantly below the market rate for Greek debt. The yield on a 2-year Greek treasury bond is about 50%. Why is the market interest rate of borrowing money so high for Greece? Because nothing they have done suggests they are likely to pay them back. Perhaps the most contentious issue is the conditionality of the IMF loans – that is “austerity”. These conditions, such as reducing unmaintainable government spending, are designed to encourage long-run growth in Greece at the expense of short-term suffering. By increasing the rate of taxation (and actually enforcing its collection) and reducing spending, Greece can eliminate its deficit and begin repaying its existing debt. With this stability, the interest rate on its existing loans will be reduced as they roll-over, and the burden of debt payments will be reduced. With economic growth in the neighbourhood of 3% (which it achieved from about 1993 to 2007), it could double its GDP in 20 years – essentially bringing Greek debt to a much more manageable level similar to Canada or Australia.

Greece did vote no, although it was a non-binding referendum, and chooses to default on their debts, the outcome is much worse. First, unlike a personal bankruptcy, the debt doesn't just "disappear". If they reintroduce the Drachma, high rates of inflation are likely for the first few years - which will shrink pensions anyway, which are fixed. The price of imported goods will increase, and a short-term recession is likely anyway. I fail to see how it will solve any of their problems.

 

It is getting dark here, and will start raining any minute again...leaves are blowing....as they do pre rain dance......

and there.... it just started raining....

happy birthday eve to Einstein, galileo and Winnie pugs who will all be 5 tomorrow......

I remember that day well...moxy, was just over one year old herself, and did not know what the hell was going on at first....but she caught on very quickly and became the best mother dog i have ever witnessed and still is...Champy was a proud dad.......leading the vet next door up the stairs to see and help...It was a miserably hot day that day.....