Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

This is a barn Owl. That rather peculiar "eye-pit" which so characterises Owls, is simpy plumage, which is different around their eyes to the rest of the body.

I live in awe of the beauty of Nature's wonderful & varied creatures. If you read up on DNA, it helps us understand how it all works, and my oh my, it's clever stuff.

[RED-DOG]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

[tikay]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

[RED-DOG]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

Elephants can walk off cliffs, doesn't mean to say they want to.

[Dingdell]

I'm moving soon and I've just started to appreciate living in the 'country' - well it is country to me. recently an owl has been about, hooting and occasionally screetching right outside my window. Must be sitting near my window. Makes a racket but it's wonderful to have nature nearby.

[tikay]

Slater Walker was a bit before my time

I did though have to deal with John Gunn..British and Commonwealth and was pitched to by Asil Nadir..Polly Peck

I also did two months due diligence on Equitable Life after it went "wrong" (nasty mis-management) and was interviewed by the police (as an investor not a suspect!) pre Guinness trial

Plenty of stories about the "old" city,but none for public consumption
 

Ahh, the crook John Gunn British & Commonwealth. What billy had 2,000 of their Shares then, sigh?

Polly Peck, what a thing that was. The whole business was (allegedly) founded on making packing cases for oranges & citrus fruit grown in Cyprus. Even the man from Del Monte said yes. It all ended in tears, of course, & the Auditors got sued, & Asid Nadir was on £3.5 million Bail. He fled the UK & the Pilot of the Private Jet who "aided & abetted" him was fined. Asil still lives in Northern Cyrprus, out of reach of British juristiction. He's a crook. Official. Had an office in Berkeley Square I believe.

One of these days I'll pen my Pergamon Press (Maxwell) views......talk about den of thieves, but they somehow earned credibility, as did Gunn, Nadir, Barlow Clowes & many, many more. Not all crooks have their arse hanging out of their pants & swag-bags. Oh, & Conrad Black, he's another. How come so many media moguls are crooks?

I do of course, thoroughly & wholly exempt Mr Murdoch from such slurs. Him I much like & admire.

[77dave]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

Elephants can walk off cliffs, doesn't mean to say they want to.

Yes but cows cant go downstairs

[tikay]

I'm moving soon and I've just started to appreciate living in the 'country' - well it is country to me. recently an owl has been about, hooting and occasionally screetching right outside my window. Must be sitting near my window. Makes a racket but it's wonderful to have nature nearby.

Try & get a picture Trace.

[tikay]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

Elephants can walk off cliffs, doesn't mean to say they want to.

Ah-ha, question duly dodged, & alleged fact remains in "pending" file until proven.

Talking of dodged questions, I can't find where you have Posted about your Weekly Weigh-In, as promised.....

[TightEnd]

but of course greed continues unabated in the modern city

At the height of the dot.com boom 1999-2000 my firm was making fortunes, my funds were doing well (a rising tide lifts all ships) and every tom dick and new economy larry was touting for funds in the city

One such company was Baltimore technologies, an Irish based software company and its shares had gone from 30p to £26 in 9 months

Their CEO, Chairman was a man called Fran Rooney. He owned 90% of this thing and was planning to sell some to "increase liquidity"

He wanted £26 a pop to sell 39%,leaving him with 51%

The proceeds..if he raised what he wanted? £1.2bn

The fella is sitting in front of me. The firm is valued at £4bn or so and the annual profits? ZERO

So my first question I think is the best one I ever asked in hundreds of meetings with companies

"Mr Rooney, if this succeeds and you get to bank £1.2bn tell me why you'll still get up in the morning to make your business thrive?"

Six months later, he having raised his money (greater fool throery at work), the firm went into liquidation



Meanwhile a plane load of City scribblers were taken on a trip to see a London quoted Israeli company GEO Interactive, a real darling stock

One scribbler missed the plane and got the next one..got into a taxi and headed for the registered office he found the address of in the annual report

He arrived, to find a brass plate on a derelict building

Asking around he popped into the cafe across the road to be told

I paraphrase

" LOL Madeupcompanyaments and you mugs value it at £1.5bn"

by the end of the night the shares had lost 90% of their value.

[tikay]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

Elephants can walk off cliffs, doesn't mean to say they want to.

Yes but cows cant go downstairs

Do you have hard evidence to that effect? I think you'll struggle.

You probably got it out of one of those Trivia Question Books. And here's a trivia question for you. Which much-maligned Celeb researched, wrote & published many, many "trivia lists" books? And I'm talkinjg BEFORE google came along to make it so damn easy.

[RED-DOG]

Did you know an owl can turn it's head 360 degrees?

Why would they want to do that Tom?

Elephants can walk off cliffs, doesn't mean to say they want to.

Ah-ha, question duly dodged, & alleged fact remains in "pending" file until proven.

Talking of dodged questions, I can't find where you have Posted about your Weekly Weigh-In, as promised.....

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071212210013AA4AFmr


Will post weigh-in before bed.

[Dingdell]

I'm moving soon and I've just started to appreciate living in the 'country' - well it is country to me. recently an owl has been about, hooting and occasionally screetching right outside my window. Must be sitting near my window. Makes a racket but it's wonderful to have nature nearby.

Try & get a picture Trace.

In the dark - what am I - david bloody attenborough?

[tikay]

I tried to find proof of Red's claim that Barn Owls can rotate their head 360 degreees, & so far I cannot find it - at least, not from a credible source. (I rise above Yahoo.....).

But I did spot this gem in Wikipidea, which is my constant friend.

It can hiss like a snake, and when captured or cornered, it throws itself on its back and flails with sharp-taloned feet, an effective defence

Wow! And supposedly, they eat a rodent per day, & a breeding pair can get through 1,000 rodents a year. And that's why Farmers encourage them. Far more efficient than cats, & not as mardy.

[RED-DOG]

I tried to find proof of Red's claim that Barn Owls can rotate their head 360 degreees, & so far I cannot find it - at least, not from a credible source. (I rise above Yahoo.....).

But I did spot this gem in Wikipidea, which is my constant friend.

It can hiss like a snake, and when captured or cornered, it throws itself on its back and flails with sharp-taloned feet, an effective defence

Wow! And supposedly, they eat a rodent per day, & a breeding pair can get through 1,000 rodents a year. And that's why Farmers encourage them. Far more efficient than cats, & not as mardy.

Owl chicks throw up on you if you disturb them. it's the most vile smelling thing imaginable

I know, I was that soldier.