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  • #61
    Re: Gov't blames itself for rising inflation...

    Originally posted by GRG55 View Post
    Jim: I am back in the sandbox (Arabian Gulf) for a little while, but some days it's damn difficult to tell the difference between here and a giant amusement park. A few more examples of the complete insanity going on around these parts to illustrate (sorry couldn't figure out how to get the pictures attached):
    "...The Palm Islands in Dubai used a new Dutch dredging technology to create these massive man made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all. Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon.
    The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. Each island will have an estimated cost of $25-30 million.
    Hydropolis, the world's first underwater hotel. Entirely built in Germany and then assembled in Dubai, it is scheduled to be completed by 2009 after many delays.
    The Burj Dubai. Construction began in 2005 and is expected to be complete by 2008. At an estimated height of over 800 meters, it will easily be world's tallest building when finished. It will be almost 40% taller than the the current tallest building, the Yaipei 101. Considered the only '7 star' hotel and the most luxurious hotel in the world. [Actually Dubai has for many years advertised the existing Burj Al Arab as the world's only 7-star hotel - that's the sail shaped hotel with the projecting helideck that is pictured so often in stories about Dubai].
    The Al Burj. This will be the centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront. Once completed it will take over the title of the tallest structure in the world from the Burj Dubai. Recently it was announced that the final height of this tower will be 1200 meters. That would make it more than 30% taller than the Burj Dubai and three times as tall as the Empire State Building.
    Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size. Dubailand will be built on 3 billion square feet (107 miles) at an estimated $20 billion price tag. The site will include a purported 45 mega projects and 200 hundred other smaller projects. Currently, the Walt Disney World Resort is the #1 tourist destination in the world. Once fully completed, Dubailand will easily take over that title since it is expected to attract 200,000 visitors daily.
    The Dubai Mall will be the largest shopping mall in the world with over 9 million square feet of shopping and around 1000 stores.It will be completed in 2008.
    Some other crazy stuff.. The Dubai Metro system, once completed, will become the largest fully automated rail system in the world. The Dubai World Central International Airport will become the largest airport in size when it is completed. It will also eventually become the busiest airport in the world, based on passenger volume. There are more construction workers in Dubai than there are actual citizens.
    And we think that US real estate was THE mother-of-all-Bubbles. It's not Petrodollars that are primarily fueling this, but Indian, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Kazakh and other Mafia money.

    I don't know what will pop this monster, or when, but when it goes the splatter zone is going to cover a lot of territory...:p

    Just in case you were under the impression that a trip to [or living in] Dubai is all fun and games [and with reference to this post elsewhere]...
    September 3, 2008
    From The Times


    Dubai 'sex on beach' woman Michelle Palmer: statement was in Arabic

    Michelle Palmer, the British woman accused of having sex on a Dubai beach, has spoken out for the first time, pleading for help to prove her innocence so that she can return home...

    ...Ms Palmer’s case captured headlines around the world this summer as a prime example of how Western values can clash with this conservative Gulf emirate’s laws. Public opinion in Dubai is against the couple, with both expatriates and Emiratis arguing that they should have respected local laws.

    The case has highlighted the strong contrasts in the booming United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai. The city has a much more freewheeling attitude than elsewhere in the Gulf, but it remains a conservative Arab nation.
    Last edited by GRG55; September 03, 2008, 12:48 PM.

    Comment

    • #62
      Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

      Yup. I prefer the Far East. It's much more liberal...















      By the way, do you know that Bank of Japan has recently found an innovative way to get a better value from its GSE holdings? Look here:


















      Comment

      • #63
        Re: Gov't blames itself for rising inflation...

        Originally posted by GRG55 View Post
        Jim: I am back in the sandbox (Arabian Gulf) for a little while, but some days it's damn difficult to tell the difference between here and a giant amusement park. A few more examples of the complete insanity going on around these parts to illustrate (sorry couldn't figure out how to get the pictures attached):
        "...The Palm Islands in Dubai used a new Dutch dredging technology to create these massive man made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all. Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon.
        The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. Each island will have an estimated cost of $25-30 million.
        Hydropolis, the world's first underwater hotel. Entirely built in Germany and then assembled in Dubai, it is scheduled to be completed by 2009 after many delays.
        The Burj Dubai. Construction began in 2005 and is expected to be complete by 2008. At an estimated height of over 800 meters, it will easily be world's tallest building when finished. It will be almost 40% taller than the the current tallest building, the Yaipei 101. Considered the only '7 star' hotel and the most luxurious hotel in the world. [Actually Dubai has for many years advertised the existing Burj Al Arab as the world's only 7-star hotel - that's the sail shaped hotel with the projecting helideck that is pictured so often in stories about Dubai].
        The Al Burj. This will be the centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront. Once completed it will take over the title of the tallest structure in the world from the Burj Dubai. Recently it was announced that the final height of this tower will be 1200 meters. That would make it more than 30% taller than the Burj Dubai and three times as tall as the Empire State Building.
        Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size. Dubailand will be built on 3 billion square feet (107 miles) at an estimated $20 billion price tag. The site will include a purported 45 mega projects and 200 hundred other smaller projects. Currently, the Walt Disney World Resort is the #1 tourist destination in the world. Once fully completed, Dubailand will easily take over that title since it is expected to attract 200,000 visitors daily.
        The Dubai Mall will be the largest shopping mall in the world with over 9 million square feet of shopping and around 1000 stores.It will be completed in 2008.
        Some other crazy stuff.. The Dubai Metro system, once completed, will become the largest fully automated rail system in the world. The Dubai World Central International Airport will become the largest airport in size when it is completed. It will also eventually become the busiest airport in the world, based on passenger volume. There are more construction workers in Dubai than there are actual citizens.
        And we think that US real estate was THE mother-of-all-Bubbles. It's not Petrodollars that are primarily fueling this, but Indian, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Kazakh and other Mafia money.

        I don't know what will pop this monster, or when, but when it goes the splatter zone is going to cover a lot of territory...:p
        And it just keeps on getting more idiotic...
        Dubai reaches for sky with plan for tallest tower - one kilometre high

        Confident Gulf state's glitzy building will incorporate traditional Islamic styles



      • Ian Black in Dubai
      • The Guardian,
      • Monday October 6 2008
        Dubai, emirate of extravagance and superlatives, laid claim to an extraordinary new record yesterday with a multibillion dollar plan to build the world's tallest tower in the face of deepening global financial gloom.

        The tower, at the centre of the Nakheel port and harbour complex, is to be "over one kilometre" high and have more than 200 floors, beating its nearest rival, the existing Burj Dubai tower, still under construction and due to rise to a mere 818 metres.

        The latest first for this tiny Gulf state, the glitziest of the seven members of the United Arab Emirates, will incorporate traditional Islamic styles for its extensive gardens, waterfront and bridges.

        "It sends another message to the world that Dubai has a vision like no other place on Earth," said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, the parent company of developer Nakheel.

        "At more than a kilometre high this is an unbelievably groundbreaking design," boasted Chris O'Donnell, Nakheel's Australian CEO. "We are pushing the boundaries of sustainable design."...[There's an understatement...:rolleyes: ]

        ...The tower will be so tall that it will have five different micro-climates.

        The temperature in the atmosphere at the top of the building could be as much as 10 degrees cooler than at the bottom. High-speed lifts will allow people to see the sunset twice - from the bottom and again from the top of the building.

        Pressed on the issue of height, O'Donnell said: "We are building a tower that's going to be over one kilometre. This is a complete iconic development. It may be the tallest. Someone may build something taller."

        Developers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will doubtless take note...

        More [if you can stomach it...:p]

      Comment

      • #64
        Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

        Originally posted by GRG55 View Post
        Darned if I know jk. Probably a series of enclosed sites with air conditioning, with many of them connected at grade level so people can get around without going outside, or maybe a tram system or something. Anything outside, except a water park, is useless from June to September because of the heat and humidity.

        I try to keep a detached perspective on this stuff and don't pay a lot of attention, as it seems so completely over-the-top artificial in every respect. A few people I know who live in Dubai seem to be getting caught up in it all, and I get the impression they are starting to think we should all live this way...
        The early signs of a bust in Dubai have been there for some time [a ridiculously extravagant and clearly uneconomic national airline & no functioning secondary market for all those apartments...just two examples]. After many years of debate and denial, the whole unsustainable state-controlled edifice finally starts to come crashing down. The wonder is why it took so long. For those still on the rides living in the midst of this giant amusement park [and I know a few], watching this end might be as traumatic as a 6-year old watching Mickey get killed off in a Disney cartoon.
        Dubai May Need Help From Abu Dhabi to Repay Debts

        Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Dubai may depend on support from neighboring Abu Dhabi and the federal government of the United Arab Emirates to help pay for a surge in borrowing, Moody's Investors Service Inc. said.

        Government-controlled companies owe at least $47 billion in total, more than Dubai's gross domestic product, according to Moody's data based on economic statistics from 2006.

        ``We believe that leverage raised primarily through state- owned corporations will continue to grow faster than GDP for at least the next five years, during which time the Emirate's susceptibility toward execution, financing and geopolitical risks will be at its most pronounced,'' Philip Lotter, Dubai- based senior vice president at Moody's, said in a report today.

        Dubai has borrowed to fund real estate projects including Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower, and to buy stakes in Deutsche Bank AG, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and Standard Chartered Plc, as it seeks to reduce dependence on its dwindling oil reserves...

        ...``These companies that are based in Dubai have become larger than Dubai itself,'' said Giyas Gokkent, chief economist at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E.'s second-largest commercial bank by assets. ``If anything were to go wrong with any of these companies, Dubai does not have the wherewithal to deal with it.''...

        ...Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has borrowed to replace Dubai's dwindling revenue from oil, investing to boost earnings from tourism and finance. State-owned carrier Emirates has increased its fleet to the largest in the Middle East, in a bid to double tourists per year to 15 million by 2015. Dubai Holding LLC, which groups assets belonging to Sheikh Mohammed, owns hotel chain Jumeirah Group...

        ...Dubai's benchmark stock index is down 44 percent as concerns over real-estate valuations and banks' access to capital weighed on investors.

        ``In most countries there are identifiable delineations between the public and private sectors,'' Cooper said in the report. ``In Dubai, however, the state corporatist model plus the fact that the ruler and his closest relatives form the core of the government make it difficult to draw such distinctions.''


        Comment

        • #65
          Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

          Google economic wisdom:

          Go to Google and type into the search bar these three words:

          russia banks rouble

          Click Search.

          Try to understand the suggestion made by Google

          Comment

          • #66
            Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up
            "Water vapor is the big player in the atmosphere as far as climate is concerned."

            Apparently we are doomed...:p

            [I wonder if Paulson and Bernanke can arrange a bailout for this too?]
            Water vapor confirmed as major player in climate change

            Water vapor is known to be Earth's most abundant greenhouse gas, but the extent of its contribution to global warming has been debated. Using recent NASA satellite data, researchers have estimated more precisely than ever the heat-trapping effect of water in the air, validating the role of the gas as a critical component of climate change.

            Andrew Dessler and colleagues from Texas A&M University in College Station confirmed that the heat-amplifying effect of water vapor is potent enough to double the climate warming caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

            With new observations, the scientists confirmed experimentally what existing climate models had anticipated theoretically. The research team used novel data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite to measure precisely the humidity throughout the lowest 10 miles of the atmosphere. That information was combined with global observations of shifts in temperature, allowing researchers to build a comprehensive picture of the interplay between water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other atmosphere-warming gases. The NASA-funded research was published recently in the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Research Letters.

            "Everyone agrees that if you add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, then warming will result," Dessler said. "So the real question is, how much warming?"

            The answer can be found by estimating the magnitude of water vapor feedback. Increasing water vapor leads to warmer temperatures, which causes more water vapor to be absorbed into the air. Warming and water absorption increase in a spiraling cycle.

            Water vapor feedback can also amplify the warming effect of other greenhouse gases, such that the warming brought about by increased carbon dioxide allows more water vapor to enter the atmosphere.

            "The difference in an atmosphere with a strong water vapor feedback and one with a weak feedback is enormous," Dessler said.

            Climate models have estimated the strength of water vapor feedback, but until now the record of water vapor data was not sophisticated enough to provide a comprehensive view of at how water vapor responds to changes in Earth's surface temperature. That's because instruments on the ground and previous space-based could not measure water vapor at all altitudes in Earth's troposphere -- the layer of the atmosphere that extends from Earth's surface to about 10 miles in altitude.

            AIRS is the first instrument to distinguish differences in the amount of water vapor at all altitudes within the troposphere. Using data from AIRS, the team observed how atmospheric water vapor reacted to shifts in surface temperatures between 2003 and 2008. By determining how humidity changed with surface temperature, the team could compute the average global strength of the water vapor feedback.

            "This new data set shows that as surface temperature increases, so does atmospheric humidity," Dessler said. "Dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere makes the atmosphere more humid. And since water vapor is itself a greenhouse gas, the increase in humidity amplifies the warming from carbon dioxide."

            Specifically, the team found that if Earth warms 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the associated increase in water vapor will trap an extra 2 Watts of energy per square meter (about 11 square feet).

            "That number may not sound like much, but add up all of that energy over the entire Earth surface and you find that water vapor is trapping a lot of energy," Dessler said. "We now think the water vapor feedback is extraordinarily strong, capable of doubling the warming due to carbon dioxide alone."

            Because the new precise observations agree with existing assessments of water vapor's impact, researchers are more confident than ever in model predictions that Earth's leading greenhouse gas will contribute to a temperature rise of a few degrees by the end of the century.

            "This study confirms that what was predicted by the models is really happening in the atmosphere," said Eric Fetzer, an atmospheric scientist who works with AIRS data at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Water vapor is the big player in the atmosphere as far as climate is concerned."
            http://www.nasa.gov

            Last edited by GRG55; November 20, 2008, 01:30 AM.

            Comment

            • #67
              Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

              Originally posted by GRG55 View Post
              "Water vapor is the big player in the atmosphere as far as climate is concerned."

              Apparently we are doomed...:p

              [I wonder if Paulson and Bernanke can arrange a bailout for this too?]
              Water vapor confirmed as major player in climate change

              Water vapor is known to be Earth's most abundant greenhouse gas, but the extent of its contribution to global warming has been debated. Using recent NASA satellite data, researchers have estimated more precisely than ever the heat-trapping effect of water in the air, validating the role of the gas as a critical component of climate change.

              Andrew Dessler and colleagues from Texas A&M University in College Station confirmed that the heat-amplifying effect of water vapor is potent enough to double the climate warming caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

              With new observations, the scientists confirmed experimentally what existing climate models had anticipated theoretically. The research team used novel data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite to measure precisely the humidity throughout the lowest 10 miles of the atmosphere. That information was combined with global observations of shifts in temperature, allowing researchers to build a comprehensive picture of the interplay between water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other atmosphere-warming gases. The NASA-funded research was published recently in the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Research Letters.

              "Everyone agrees that if you add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, then warming will result," Dessler said. "So the real question is, how much warming?"

              The answer can be found by estimating the magnitude of water vapor feedback. Increasing water vapor leads to warmer temperatures, which causes more water vapor to be absorbed into the air. Warming and water absorption increase in a spiraling cycle.

              Water vapor feedback can also amplify the warming effect of other greenhouse gases, such that the warming brought about by increased carbon dioxide allows more water vapor to enter the atmosphere.

              "The difference in an atmosphere with a strong water vapor feedback and one with a weak feedback is enormous," Dessler said.

              Climate models have estimated the strength of water vapor feedback, but until now the record of water vapor data was not sophisticated enough to provide a comprehensive view of at how water vapor responds to changes in Earth's surface temperature. That's because instruments on the ground and previous space-based could not measure water vapor at all altitudes in Earth's troposphere -- the layer of the atmosphere that extends from Earth's surface to about 10 miles in altitude.

              AIRS is the first instrument to distinguish differences in the amount of water vapor at all altitudes within the troposphere. Using data from AIRS, the team observed how atmospheric water vapor reacted to shifts in surface temperatures between 2003 and 2008. By determining how humidity changed with surface temperature, the team could compute the average global strength of the water vapor feedback.

              "This new data set shows that as surface temperature increases, so does atmospheric humidity," Dessler said. "Dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere makes the atmosphere more humid. And since water vapor is itself a greenhouse gas, the increase in humidity amplifies the warming from carbon dioxide."

              Specifically, the team found that if Earth warms 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the associated increase in water vapor will trap an extra 2 Watts of energy per square meter (about 11 square feet).

              "That number may not sound like much, but add up all of that energy over the entire Earth surface and you find that water vapor is trapping a lot of energy," Dessler said. "We now think the water vapor feedback is extraordinarily strong, capable of doubling the warming due to carbon dioxide alone."

              Because the new precise observations agree with existing assessments of water vapor's impact, researchers are more confident than ever in model predictions that Earth's leading greenhouse gas will contribute to a temperature rise of a few degrees by the end of the century.

              "This study confirms that what was predicted by the models is really happening in the atmosphere," said Eric Fetzer, an atmospheric scientist who works with AIRS data at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Water vapor is the big player in the atmosphere as far as climate is concerned."
              http://www.nasa.gov

              We definitely need a steam room tax.

              Comment

              • #68
                Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                Sahara Pallin offering an interesting background on the Federal Reserve System efforts to rescue taxpayers from the financial crisis. Watch it carefully ... it's almost hypnotic







                Comment

                • #69
                  Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                  Originally posted by $#* View Post
                  Sahara Pallin offering an interesting background on the Federal Reserve System efforts to rescue taxpayers from the financial crisis. Watch it carefully ... it's almost hypnotic
                  Priceless...

                  Comment

                  • #70
                    Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up - Saudi Arabia Segregates Bankers

                    Originally posted by GRG55 View Post
                    Here we go again. This is an example of what I was referring to when I mentioned on another thread a few weeks back that the GCC countries, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were continuously becoming more conservative Islamic societies. I have noticed quite a change just in the few years I have lived in the Gulf. This may seem far away for many of you, and of no real consequence, but I think these are indicators of a recent acceleration in a long standing trend (goes back to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the first Gulf War) with potential ramifications that go well beyond global oil supply...

                    Saudi bank segregation not yet confirmed

                    by Lynne Roberts on Tuesday, 03 July 2007
                    Reports by news agencies that stricter measures will be enforced to segregate men and women at Saudi banks’ headquarters have yet to be officially confirmed, according to Arab News.

                    According to the newspaper no written circular has been issued, although women bankers claim to have heard about new rules, and in some cases have reported to work to find themselves relocated to women-only suites.

                    Male and female employees have always been separated at individual branches, but have worked together at headquarters until now.
                    A recent Reuters report claims officials from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) and the Labour Ministry met with bank managers earlier this month to inform them of the new system, and giving them until the end of the summer holidays to comply.

                    Banks are expected to provide separate floors, elevators, entrances and cafeterias for men and women.

                    A SAMA official denied any new rules or directives, but admitted that banks are expected to segregate. “There have been many complaints and written requests from different government agencies to strictly enforce the segregation because some banks continue to have mixed administrations at their headquarters” he told Arab News.
                    Not just the GCC apparently...
                    Malaysian Fatwa Council Bans Yoga for Muslims, Star Reports

                    By Soraya Permatasari
                    Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council today issued a religious edict banning Muslims from practicing yoga, saying it involves physical movements such as chanting that are prohibited in the religion, the Star reported today.

                    The decision was made after Zakaria Stapa, a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, advised Muslims against taking yoga classes on concern they may deviate from the teachings of Islam, the report said.

                    More than 60 percent of Malaysia’s 27 million people practice Islam. The council is the religious body in Malaysia that issues fatwas for Muslims in the country. Their decisions are not legally binding.

                    Comment

                    • #71
                      Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                      Weather rocket kills man and blows up his body at cremation

                      A Chinese man originally thought to have been struck by lightning was in fact killed by a small weather rocket whose existence was only discovered when his body exploded during his cremation.

                      By Richard Spencer in Beijing
                      Last Updated: 10:38PM GMT 16 Dec 2008

                      The body of Wang Diange, from the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, was found in the wreckage of a house where he had been overseeing the wake of a previous family funeral, after mourners felt a loud explosion which took off half the roof.

                      As it was raining and thundery, they decided that the house, and Mr Wang in particular, had been struck by lightning. The police came to the same conclusion.

                      Further inquiries were made a few days later after Mr Wang's own funeral. As his body was being put into the cremation chamber, it blew up spectacularly, bursting the doors off the oven.

                      When the fire had been put out, the only clue as to what had happened was a small twisted piece of metal, which seemed to be the glowing remnants of a screw.

                      At first, local metallurgists were unable to determine what it was, though they noted it bore a military serial number. After a lengthy investigation, however, it was suggested it might be part of a shell casing.

                      Inquiries revealed that the rainfall on the day of the original disaster was triggered by the local weather bureau, which had been firing shells into the atmosphere to break up hail in order to protect the local tobacco crop.

                      Inside the shells were silver iodide, a chemical that helps to break up hail into rain.

                      Their own investigators concluded that one shell must have failed to explode, hit the house, and lodged in Mr Wang's body. There it passed unnoticed because of his extensive injuries, according to local newspaper reports.

                      As a result, and three years after Mr Wang died, his family have now received 80,000 yuan (£8,000) in compensation from the weather bureau.

                      Comment

                      • #72
                        Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                        Apparently growing food is bad for the planet...:eek:
                        How Green Is My Orange?

                        BRADENTON, Fla. — How much does your morning glass of orange juice contribute to global warming?

                        PepsiCo, which owns the Tropicana brand, decided to try to answer that question. It figured that as public concern grows about the fate of the planet, companies will find themselves under pressure to perform such calculations. Orange juice seemed like a good case study.

                        PepsiCo hired experts to do the math, measuring the emissions from such energy-intensive tasks as running a factory and transporting heavy juice cartons. But it turned out that the biggest single source of emissions was simply growing oranges. Citrus groves use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer, which requires natural gas to make and can turn into a potent greenhouse gas when it is spread on fields.

                        PepsiCo finally came up with a number: the equivalent of 3.75 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted to the atmosphere for each half-gallon carton of orange juice...

                        Comment

                        • #73
                          Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                          There were a few years ago rumors about a big ABBA fan in Kremlin... well ...

                          http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7875372.stm


                          Putin denies dancing to Abba hits


                          Vladimir Putin and seven other guests were at the gig, Bjorn Again says

                          An Abba tribute band says it has performed a private concert for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
                          Bjorn Again says it was paid £20,000 to play the gig 200 miles (320km) north of Moscow on 22 January.
                          Bjorn Again's manager Rod Stephen and other band members said Mr Putin danced to Abba hits and shouted "Bravo!"
                          The PM's spokesman denied the claim. Mr Putin - a former KGB spy who has a black belt in judo - is known in Russia and the West for his macho image.
                          'Paid by Kremlin'
                          Bjorn Again says that in January it was flown from London to Moscow and then driven north to a place on the shores of Lake Valdai.

                          Bjorn Again was founded in 1988

                          The four member-group says Mr Putin and about seven other guests, including a woman, were present at the concert, but they sat on a sofa veiled by a curtain.
                          "It was the smallest audience we have ever performed to but Mr Putin was really enjoying it, shouting 'Bravo' and clapping with the others," Aileen McLaughlin, who performs as Abba's blonde Agnetha Faltskog, was quoted as saying by the Times newspaper.
                          "He [Putin] was dancing along in his seat to Super Trouper and raised his hands in the air during Mamma Mia when we asked the audience to," she said.
                          Bjorn Again says it performed 15 Abba songs during the private gig, claiming that it was paid by the Kremlin.
                          Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that the prime minister attended any such concert.
                          Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Mr Putin last May, is a well-known fan of British band Deep Purple.
                          Last year, Mr Medvedev attended a concert by the British rockers to mark the 15th anniversary of the founding of Gazprom.
                          Mamma Mia !!!

                          Comment

                          • #74
                            Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                            Originally posted by $#* View Post
                            There were a few years ago rumors about a big ABBA fan in Kremlin... well ...

                            http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7875372.stm

                            Mamma Mia !!!
                            why do dictators have such lousy taste in music?

                            Comment

                            • #75
                              Re: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

                              Originally posted by $#* View Post
                              There were a few years ago rumors about a big ABBA fan in Kremlin... well ...

                              http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7875372.stm




                              Mamma Mia !!!
                              Wonder if the woman, second from the left in photo, is also a black belt? ;)

                              Comment

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