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Dr_Piggy

Listed below are comments made by Dr_Piggy between Monday, 13th October 2008 and Sunday, 26th April 2009.

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Experts concerned about potential flu pandemic 3:30pm on 26 Apr 2009 This may sound geeky, 'conspiracy theory oriented' or just plain wild, but has anyone run a correlation between 'flu epidemics and solar activity?

Just a thought.

Seems that the 1918 and 1968 pandemics have a strong correlation with sunspot minima.

Currently, we have similar conditions pertaining and a possible (potential) pandemic in the making.

Comments?
Momentous Monday 7:11pm on 13 Oct 2008 to 326

Yes, banks have just LOVED to say no recently.

refer to my #291 post

In my experience - and this is no joke - merely asking if there was a possibility of a debit card for my account met with stony silence.

When I chased it up eventually, my enquiries were met with:

a) Incompetence (I was informed that my request had been processed 5 weeks BEFORE my letter was sent!)

b) Obfuscation (some disjointed claptrap about "embargoed countries" and "incomplete addresses" - I live in Belgium, which seems to be a hotbed for Fundamentalist nihilism, apparently.)

c) Mealy-mouthed apologies and an assurance that it would be "Sorted out".

d) Delivery 2 days later of a Cashpoint card ostensibly to replace the one already in my pocket (I wanted a DEBIT card remember)

Now that's a big clue as to which bank I'm dealing with (part of it used to like to say YES).

For some of you this will sound trivial/typical, but look, it just took £17bil of your money and will shortly double in size as it absorbs HBOS. Will efficiency improve? Highly unlikely.

More likely, my debit card will be "accidentally" mailed to an incorrect address (or country).

You all have experiences like this that demonstrate gross incompetence within banking, or their blatant intent for self serving maltreatment of their clients.

I wasn't even asking for a loan, just better access to my own account which is always in balance.

I don't see how this bailout can be anything other a temporary fix to a psychological problem (panic) that is bound to return because of systemic incompetence within the financial system.

I HOPE it is - but I have serious reservations.

(We are cheerful aren't we)
Momentous Monday 4:10pm on 13 Oct 2008 OMG! The world is saved!

Well done to Darling Gordon for generally excellent financial leadership.

Perhaps the optimism will last beyond the day's end, but here's the big question:

Will the banks REALLY co-operate in ungumming the financial system?
So far, the last year has seen them behaving more like medieval moneychangers or Hanseatic city states.
Since their balance sheets were (allegedly) so desperately in need of refinance, are they now about to do a backflip and start lending again?
Are LIBORs falling? I hope so. If not, then this optimism will soon evaporate and we'll all be the weaker for it.

Fingers and toes crossed.

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