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Watchful
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Posts posted by Watchful
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11 hours ago, jamesmacleod said:
My father is an economist and he thinks once Brexit has been done and dusted and the UK is no longer in the EU, Britain will boom!
Not sure I see his view point, due to a big deficit and the fact the £ will weaken but still...
James, please help me here. With Brexit won't the UK government have a smaller deficit?
I mean, the UK government no longer would have to send all that money to Brussels to support the EU bureaucracy.
I must admit that I am most confused by present currency valuations. Trump wants a weak dollar to help US exports and make domestic producers competitive against imports. At the same time, he'd like interest rates to return to "historical" levels. Normally these two things would be mutually exclusive!
That is, higher interest rates increase a currency's value. As crazy as it is, Trump is getting what he wants. The Fed is raising interest rates to it's member banks, yet the 10 Treasuries remain, for the most part, unchanged!
The US government is certainty issuing debt, but who the hell is buying all of these Treasuries? The equity markets in the US are booming so it can't be US investors. All I can surmise is wealthy folks in Venezuela, Iran, Russia, Syria, Lybia etc are desperately seeking a safe haven. Possibly even European investors given German interest rates below 1%? (US 10 year = 2.46% German 10 year = 0.47%)
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20 hours ago, Johny90 said:
Reading those stories is what worried me haha.
Something is terribly wrong with ALL of the stories and ALL of the posts in this thread.
Everyone has ignored the two most important people in this situation. Johny you are NOT the most important person in the world to your GF. To her and FOREVER the most important people in her life are her two kids.
Johny, how do you see yourself bonding with these two kids? Is that something you look forward to? If you can't see yourself as a dad and provider, you need to move on. It will never, ever work.
Look, she spends every waking hour worrying about her kids and their well-being. Now you could fit in the picture, but only as someone who provides security and a future for these two youngsters. If you faithfully fulfil that role, you could indeed have a happy life together.
At 26, is this something you'd seriously like to commit to?
If you choose to ignore these two people, I can guarantee you will regret it.
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8 hours ago, Media1 said:
Give the guy a break. This is not a crime. Actually it's a joke really.
Good to him
Sounds to me like the guy attempted to enter Thailand illegally. That is, he attempted to by passed the normal entry process.
This is a crime in most countries. I applaud Thailand for enforcing their borders. Failing to do so and you end up with the mess we have in the US where millions of illegals demand their "right" to stay, their "rights" to free education and their "rights" to welfare.
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6 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:
Good or Thailand. It is a shame that NK still has trade with Russia and China, but those countries are all about the Money!
Geezer
No, it's far more complicated than that. Money is not the issue as NK doesn't have any.
China has supported their ally since the end of the Korean War. Now it seems they have little influence over NK as Putin steps in to help his "friends". It's a double whammy for Putin as he gets to stick it to both the US and China AT THE SAME TIME.
One fine mess! Soon South Korea and Japan will have to develop their own nuclear deterrent. Then Vietnam, Taiwan, Phillipines and Indonesia will have to follow suit. Like I said, one fine mess and we can all thank China for supporting this corrupt, morally bankrupt regime.
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16 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:
Your information is way out of date. Toyota has announced that they plan to use solid state batteries by the mid 2020's.
And they're not alone. Just do a search. What you're citing must be very old stuff indeed.
And as for "batteries can totally discharge in short periods of time without self destructing" it's been repeatedly demonstrated the lithium ion batteries are really good at self-destructing with sometimes horrifying consequences. And solid state batteries have no problem releasing electricity quickly. And they won't self destruct in pretty much any circumstance, unlike lithium ion batteries.
And as for natural gas vs. coal. Natural gas produces negligible amounts of sulfur emissions. That goes for mercury emissions, too. . And per unit of heat generated, it yields less CO2 than does coal.
So, natural gas doesn't burn somewhat cleaner, but rather massively cleaner than does coal.
Yes, when shorted lithium batteries are very dangerous for the very reason I cited. They have a very low internal resistance. This allows them to discharged in a controlled (non-shorted) way in a very short period of time without harming the batteries.
This is still true ... it is not old.
What you quoted is a "wish list" of what Toyota would like to do. They even admit they have major problems to solve. There is no guarantee the solid state obstacles will be overcome. To assume these things can be commercialized is a huge leap of faith and is not the current situation.
Yes, natural gas is cleaner and it is cheaper, but it is also tied to politics. If more governors follow the lead of the liberal Democrats like Cumo and totally ban hydrofracking, the supply and economics quickly change. That is, the price will skyrocket as the supply diminishes.
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2 minutes ago, Watchful said:
Deleted duplicate post
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24 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:
Wow! research from MAPI which is short for Manufacturer's Alliance for Productivity and Innovation. Clearly an impartial source. The report included cost of regulations such as minimum wage rules.
BAsically, that report tallied up the costs of regualtions, but left completely 100% unaddressed the benefits. Such as health beneftis from lower pollution.
Well even the WP quotes my source and pretty much agrees with their findings.
Where the WP goes off the rails is using Obama's EPA estimate of the value of the "benefits". Any guesses on how Trump's EPA will value those benefits?
It's BS like this that bureaucratics over the world (including Thailand) use to justify their rules and existence. "Oh there is no question about it. Our rules are going to save two godzillion $'s over 20 years."
Surely you don't believe this bureaucratic nonsense. Even if you do, stay tuned, because you'll be getting some new nonsense from Trump's EPA.
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22 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:
Because storage solutions aren't getting better all the time? Look up what Elon Musk did in Australia. And once Solid State batteries replace lithium ion, the storage problem will be solved. And even if renewables don't get to 100 percent of generated electricity their percentage is increasing. So that means a decreasing portion of hydrogen would be generated via an ultimate combustion source. And as for belching smoke, coal is on its way out because of hard economic reasons. It's not even compettive with natural gas or solar in much of the world already and the trend is getting stronger. And Natural gas doesn't belch smoke and it's a lot easier and cheaper to control pollution at one source than to have to build pollution controls into each vehicle.
I don't have all the answers, but I do have better ones than do you.
Solid state batteries IMO might be a great solution for cell phones, iPhones, tablets and laptops. They have the potential for good energy density. Their weakness is currents are limited through solid - solid interfaces. Lithium ion batteries can totally discharge in short periods of time without self destructing. This is why lithium ion has totally revolutionized the remote control model market.
Vehicles are similar in many respects to rc models. That is, there are times when you need tons of current.
As for natural gas ... Yes it is cleaner than coal, but it's still a hydrocarbon. That means it still puts out CO2 in large quantities. Sulfur is significantly reduced, making it somewhat cleaner.
Don't forget it is Elon Musk who calls fuel cell "fool cells". He believes storing energy in the form of hydrogen is a massive looser.
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3 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:
I should have been clearer in my question. It was about this:
"Trump's merciless attack on Federal regulators has already paid big dividends. The Obama administration was hostile to small business and hurt them badly. Naturally, they were hostile to big business was as well, but big business has the lawyers to fight back. It was the small guys that the Obama administration able to push around. "
Sure, here you go....
http://www.industryweek.com/regulations/removing-pebbles-regulatory-stream
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22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:
Which is why they should be investing in fuel cell technology instead of polluting batteries requiring polluting power stations to charge.
As usual, they got it wrong.
2 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:It may well be that fuel cells will fail in the competition to power autos. But apart from the storage question, it won't be for the reasons you cited.
Is there something inherently different about electricity generated from renewable sources that would make it unsuitable for electrolysis? One is reminded of John Cleese's letter to the power company which closes with: ''However, I should like to congratulate you on the continuing excellent quality of your electricity.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/25/magazine/cleese-up-close.html?pagewanted=all
And as for your comments about fuel cells unsuitablity for autos, you really believe that that Toyota and others don't have your point about power variability covered?
"At low speeds such as city driving, the FCV runs just like any all-electric car by using the energy stored in its battery, which is charged through regenerative braking. At higher speeds, the hydrogen fuel cell alone powers the electric motor. When more power is needed, for example during sudden acceleration, the battery supports the fuel cell system as both work together to provide propulsion.[21]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Mirai
It may well be that fuel cells will fail in the competition to power autos. But apart from the storage question, it won't be for the reasons you cited.
Thank you for providing the proof of my contention that "fool cells" require polluting batteries. (That was the contention in my post.)
Problem with renewables is the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow.
Here is your chance to prove us all wrong. Starting right now ... you exist only on renewables. Get your self a wind turbine, some solar panels, build your own fuel cell and electrolysis system. Get an all electric car and recharge the batteries at night with solar and wind power.
Stop talking and start doing. After all, you have all the answers.
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11 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:
You got some proof of these claims?
Here you go...
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17 hours ago, pegman said:
Fact, more jobs were created in Obama's last 10 months in office than Trump's first 10 months. Wage growth sucks under Trump.
You neglected to mention that Trump had to contend with 5 hurricanes.
But you'll just say I'm making excuses. So then, let's compare Trump's first 11 months to Obama's first 11 months in office. Who has to make excuses then?
BTW, if current trends continue, even with the hurricanes, Trump's job gains for his first entire year will be higher than Obama's final year.
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17 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:
Which is why they should be investing in fuel cell technology instead of polluting batteries requiring polluting power stations to charge.
As usual, they got it wrong.
That darling of the environmentalists Elon Musk calls them "fool cells".
Tell us, from where do we get the hydrogen? Natural gas? Electrolysis of water where the massive amounts of electricity comes from those power plants ... belching smoke?
The other thing you completely ignored is that fuel cells still require ... wait for it ... batteries! The fuel cells charge batteries similar to the scheme in Toyota's Prius. Fuel cells are very slow to start and they really don't have a throttle. They pretty much produce electricity at a constant rate. Most vehicles require the ability to vary power from almost nothing to a lot! Now there are some trivial situations such as ocean vessels and trains that require continuous power for long stretches, but then the problem becomes storing the hydrogen. Energy stored in the form of hydrogen is not very dense and you need tons of space.
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On 12/5/2017 at 8:45 PM, boomerangutang said:
Fossil fuel motors are past their heyday. They will still be used, but the party is winding down for internal combustion engines, as we've known them since the latter 19th century.
Cleaner, quieter, comparatively recyclable tech is taking the place of dirty, polluting, internal combustion engines. The sun is rising on alt.energy, and the black orb of smoke-belching motors is setting.
No question that electric motors run cleaner than IC engines. Problem is their batteries are charged over night by electricity generated in power plants ... belching smoke.
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17 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:
Trump haters come from both sides of the isle. Sorry to disappoint the Trump lovers, but even many Republicans hate Trump.
Keep UP!
Yes, that's true, but Trump lovers come from both sides as well.
Without Dems voting for Trump he would not be president.
As for the Trump haters in the GOP, Cooker and Flake are not seeking reelection. They both know they would NOT survive a primary challenge.
The balance of the GOP is pretty much getting on board. The tax cuts will provide tax relief to over 75% of taxpayers. Losers will be upper middle class and wealthy in the high tax states that pretty much vote Democratic.
Problem for the GOP will be Roy Moore, but I heard tonight there are 20 to 30 members in Congress being investigated for sexual harassment. If true, this is a mess for both parties. Further, after supporting Clinton and Ted Kennedy, the Dems can't really claim the moral high ground.
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As the article states some companies, namely firearm manufacturers, are NOT doing so hot.
Their problem is one of politics. Sales of firearms skyrocketed when Obama was in office, as people feared he'd appoint liberal judges unconcerned about the 2nd amendment. Trump appears to keep his promises so there is no urgent need to buy a firearm now and sales have soften.
The other interesting news on the jobs report is the growth of jobs in the manufacturing sector. Under Obama we were losing 1000+ each month. The Dems told us this was nothing to worry about because we are transforming to a "service sector" economy. Problem, of course, is you can't raise a family on the wages paid to those flipping burgers or working at Wal-Mart.
Trump's merciless attack on Federal regulators has already paid big dividends. The Obama administration was hostile to small business and hurt them badly. Naturally, they were hostile to big business was as well, but big business has the lawyers to fight back. It was the small guys that the Obama administration able to push around.
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Sorry to disappoint all of the Trump haters on TV, but many Dems support Trump's decision.
Even Schumer, Senate minority leader, encouraged Trump to do this.
So terribly, terribly sorry that life is more complicated than the simple minded Trump haters would make you believe,
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20 hours ago, craigt3365 said:
Please get your facts straight. Stop reading fake news sites like zerohedge and Breitbart!
Perhaps you should read the sites you quote...
"the senator has often spoken of her Native American ancestry."
She has ... wait for it ... none!
Now, she could easily prove her claim with a DNA analysis, but it seems that is just too much trouble.
Even Harvard bragged about having a Native American on their teaching staff. "Bragged" until the scam was revealed.
Warren does not miss an opportunity to bash Trump. It seems she has a glass a$s and can't take it when he turns the tables.
My comment about Warren still stands. She appropriated Native American culture not to help Native Americans, but for her own personal gain. She is "user" and a the perfect flag bearer for the liberals.
WHAT'S FALSE
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9 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:
What you don't say about the Battle of Talladega is that he came to the aid of the White Stick Native Americans and a few white people against the Red Stick Native Americans against whom the army had been waging war. And to defend Andrew Jackson as a friend of Native Americans after the horrors he inflicted on the Cherokee people is just nonsense. And this is not just applying modern standards to a different era. His actions were widely denounced at the time. As regards native Americans, he was a vicious and unregenerate bigot.
What you neglect is the Red Sticks killed over 300 of the White Sticks and it was the Red Sticks who were aligned with Jackson's hated British. Further, it was the White Sticks who asked for his help.
Jackson was a very complicated man who lived in times of great upheaval and constantly shifting alliances. To judge Donald Trump based upon an old portrait is just another of CNN's hit jobs. Too bad the Clinton News Network is losing big time in the ratings.
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3 minutes ago, Slip said:
CNN do a lot of 'crap' reporting about Andrew Jackson and 18/19th century war and politics do they?
No, they just use absolute "crap" to attack Trump, because they know their audience of Trump haters and those suffering from TDS are too stupid to know anything about history.
All they know is that Andrew Jackson killed Native Americans and that's true. What they ignore is those Native Americans were rebels who killed their own people and sided with the British. Jackson, when the Native Americans asked for his help, came to their assistance.
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2 hours ago, Credo said:
You might actually want to read the history of Pocahontas. It is not Warren who is being besmirched, it is an amazing Native American woman by a not very amazing president.
Nonsense! Read the article. Trump referred specifically "a representative in Congress". He was talking about Warren who "appropriated" native American culture for her own personal gain.
I saw an interview of her talking about a portrait of her ancestors who had "very high cheek bones just like Native Americans". She is a real piece of work, a thorn in Trump's side and he can't resist dishing back.
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47 minutes ago, retarius said:
Personally I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I'm not aware that Pocahontas is a derogatory term for Native Americans.....if it is, then he obviously should not be using it....but even if it not derogatory, to mock another senator is a bit juvenile. What I don't get is why he would say it in front of Native American Vets.
He mentioned Warren because she "appropriated" their culture for her own personal gain.
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1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:
Honoring Native Americans under/in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson was probably a lot more insensitive than being unable to control oneself by invoking a personal insult unrelated to the event?
Press Secretary Sanders defended the insult by calling Sen. Warren "a liar", which in and of itself seems unprofessional, at best.
This is what happens when you listen to the "crap" reported as news by CNN. Andrew Jackson was a complicated man who hated the British more than anything.
As for native Americans, he actually came to their aid in the Battle of Talladega. So terribly sorry life isn't as simple as that corrupt CNN would have you believe,
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What is she doing!!
There's no crying in baseball!
Plunging British Pound Saps Expat Pension Spending Power
in Thailand News
Posted
Good point, George! I forgot the wealthy Chinese and I did read that recently China is implementing currency controls to stop the flow of money OUT of China.
Controls like this make people nervous and the very wealthy start doing just the opposite. That is, they seek those "safe havens".