The A/R Off Topic Thread

sideswipe

jd wrote: »

It's the kind of nonsense that would appeal to people who use naturalnews.com or mercola as sources for advice on health.

It's called marketing- the food industry has evolved to be very good at selling us things. It's a multi billions euro industry that tells us things like X breakfast cereal is going to change our lives and make us healthier even though it really belongs in the biscuit aisle.
We all know salt id bad for you in excess- but you'll sure need a lot of pinches when reading the marketing bluster of anything related to the food industry.

walshb

But surely in this day and age with all the rules and regulations, claims the company are making, and claims they are advertising to the buying public would have to be substantiated and verified through testing?

I admit I found it a bit unbelievable about breaking food down to the molecular level. Doesn't the machine operate via blades? I would have thought a crushing mechanism would be needed.

rom

Whats wrong with a hand blender ? Cheaper and does the same job.

Also it will take up less room in the cupboard when you stop using it in a month time.

opus

First time I've seen one of these t-shirts

Ed Mc

"The Ghost Runner"
By Bill Jones

The life of John Tarrant.

"Looking around him, John noticed that he wasn't the only runner without a number. There were a handful of annoymous black and Indian runners too, huddled apart , bashfully awaiting the signal to get going. For the first time in his life, Tarrant had unofficial company. The organisers referred to them with euphemistic disdain as " non - European runners". John Tarrant had become a ghost in a nation of ghosts."

Quote is referring to the 1967 comrades start line.

An excellent read.

opus

We were playing around with Windows 10 at work yesterday & came across this great error message!



A very quick-witted friend said that Tom Dunne might like it

BeepBeep67

Missing Italian runner shows why it's a bad idea to use someone else's bib
The lost marathon runner who was found on the NYC subway shows why using someone else’s bib can have consequences both unpredictable and dangerous

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/06/missing-italian-runner-shows-why-its-a-bad-idea-to-use-someone-elses-bib

An_Reathai

Interesting story. Don't see how wearing someone else's bib made any difference to his situation though? He still gets lost if he's wearing his own bib...

robinph

An_Reathai wrote: »

Interesting story. Don't see how wearing someone else's bib made any difference to his situation though? He still gets lost if he's wearing his own bib...

He was just lucky, as was his buddy whose number he was wearing.

Wouldn't take much of a change in the sequence of events that happened to either of them and you have the wrong family being contacted for any of a number of reasons, or the Italian embassy trying to figure out why they have just been contacted about a person who doesn't speak English being in an NY hospital whilst the same person is supposedly on a flight on it's way into Rome.

shels4ever

robinph wrote: »

He was just lucky, as was his buddy whose number he was wearing.

Wouldn't take much of a change in the sequence of events that happened to either of them and you have the wrong family being contacted for any of a number of reasons, or the Italian embassy trying to figure out why they have just been contacted about a person who doesn't speak English being in an NY hospital whilst the same person is supposedly on a flight on it's way into Rome.

What I find strange is he couldn't find anyone in NY that spoke Italian. I've seen goodfellas there are loads of them.

robinph

shels4ever wrote: »

What I find strange is he couldn't find anyone in NY that spoke Italian. I've seen goodfellas there are loads of them.

He had managed to make it out as far as the airport and back to the city again. So whilst he was in a strange city and not speaking the language, if you're at the airport just rock up to the Al Italia desk and ask for some help.

Don't matter if you speak the language or have your ticket booked with them, but if I found myself lost and confused, but still with it enough to make it to an airport in a strange land then I'd just head for the BA desk and get help.

Clearlier

Properly off-topic

I read most of Paul Krugman's articles. I find them interesting but I'm aware that he's fairly partisan and my inclinations probably lean in a lefty kind of direction. For anyone who doesn't know him he's very much a Keynesian.

Anyone got any suggestions on someone I could look out for who provides a thoughtful analysis of political economics but coming from a different perspective? It certainly doesn't need to be American and if it's massively techincal I'll be out of my depth but I have a basic understanding of economic theory and would be interested in someone who references it.

Suggestions?

ThisRegard

Jesus Clearer, you and your fancy highbrow notions.

I'll drag the thread down to the usual level. Was never too bothered by the licencing laws for the off trade until yesterday morning. Was up bright and early and ready to leave the house at 8am to go get the Christmas shopping down, the likes of the wines, sparkles, boxes of sweets etc. Just as I had all the bags ready I realised the don't sell you alcohol until 12pm on a Sunday, the bastards.

Dubgal72

Clearlier wrote: »

Properly off-topic

I read most of Paul Krugman's articles. I find them interesting but I'm aware that he's fairly partisan and my inclinations probably lean in a lefty kind of direction. For anyone who doesn't know him he's very much a Keynesian.

Anyone got any suggestions on someone I could look out for who provides a thoughtful analysis of political economics but coming from a different perspective? It certainly doesn't need to be American and if it's massively techincal I'll be out of my depth but I have a basic understanding of economic theory and would be interested in someone who references it.

Suggestions?

Joseph Stiglitz?

Dubgal72

yeah yeah yeah am outta here

Clearlier

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Joseph Stiglitz?

Stiglitz is intersting and he was the author of the textbook I had for my single year of studying economics in UCD but he's not all that different from Krugman to be honest (both would be Keynesian's of one variety or another). I'm wondering if there's a more right wing laissez faireview out there that's coherently expressed?

walshb

ThisRegard wrote: »

J
until 12pm on a Sunday, the bastards.

That noon or midnight?;)

ThisRegard

PM would denote the noon?

walshb

ThisRegard wrote: »

PM would denote the noon?

Close, but no cigar. I'll assume it's noon!:)

ThisRegard

walshb wrote: »

Close, but no cigar. I'll assume it's noon!:)

You think 12pm is midnight? I know it can be ambiguous but isn't it generally accepted in this part of the world anyway that 12am is midnight, 12pm is midday?

I think I've opened another Pandoras box.

Damn it, you made by google it, and we all know Wikipedia is never wrong, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock#Confusion_at_noon_and_midnight

walshb

ThisRegard wrote: »

You think 12pm is midnight? I know it can be ambiguous but isn't it generally accepted in this part of the world anyway that 12am is midnight, 12pm is midday?

I think I've opened another Pandoras box.

Damn it, you made by google it, and we all know Wikipedia is never wrong, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock#Confusion_at_noon_and_midnight

I think 12 p.m. can be either noon or midnight. That is why (for clarity) it's better to say 12 midnight or 12 noon, and not use p.m. and a.m. Failing that use the 24 hour clock!

An_Reathai

Clearlier wrote: »

Properly off-topic

I read most of Paul Krugman's articles. I find them interesting but I'm aware that he's fairly partisan and my inclinations probably lean in a lefty kind of direction. For anyone who doesn't know him he's very much a Keynesian.

Anyone got any suggestions on someone I could look out for who provides a thoughtful analysis of political economics but coming from a different perspective? It certainly doesn't need to be American and if it's massively techincal I'll be out of my depth but I have a basic understanding of economic theory and would be interested in someone who references it.

Suggestions?

Milton Friedman tends to be the Right's go-to man for economic theory. Very influential with the likes of Reagan and Thatcher. Don't know how accessible his stuff is though - I've not read any of it!

ThisRegard

Off the Ball have a piece coming up with the guy who exposed the east German doping program from a few decades back, and the long term effects it has had on some of what were basically kids back then, such as sterility.

Great piece on Bob Tisdall beforehand.

Murph_D

Clearlier wrote: »

Stiglitz is intersting and he was the author of the textbook I had for my single year of studying economics in UCD but he's not all that different from Krugman to be honest (both would be Keynesian's of one variety or another). I'm wondering if there's a more right wing laissez faireview out there that's coherently expressed?

If you want to explore the neoliberal worldview Hayek is your man. Although personally I prefer David Harvey's rebuttals.

Clearlier

Murph_D wrote: »

If you want to explore the neoliberal worldview Hayek is your man. Although personally I prefer David Harvey's rebuttals.

Thanks Murph, I don't suppose that you have any suggestions of contemporary advocates and interpreters of his theories?

Murph_D

Well I wouldn't be an expert here as my interest in the area is indirect. And of course most neoliberal economists and other advocates hate the term and refuse to be identified by it. But you'd be safe enough I'd say with any living economists/thinkers associated with the Austrian School - Steven Horwitz? David Gordon?

Or closer to home, pretty much anyone invited onto an RTE panel discussion to defend austerity policy: e.g. Colm McCarthy, Moore McDowell and the rest of the "Doheny & Nesbitt School" of economics and public policy. :pac:

ger664

I have some one plus two invites. Expire in 2 days PM your email if you want one.

ThisRegard

Anyone watching the obesity piece on Claire Byrne? That nutritionist speaking out about the problem is doing her side no good at all. Exaggeration and hyperbole. "Eating is a universal phenomenon".

SeanPuddin_

What the hell does this mean? ðŸ˜
It's driving me crazy.

RacoonQueen

SeanPuddin_ wrote: »

What the hell does this mean? ðŸ˜
It's driving me crazy.

They're Apple/Android smilies - they come up like that on platforms that don't recognise them.