- journalists using words like collapsing etc whilst on screen display clearly shows it rising

- the idiot bankers etc
- If it sounds so easy why no warning from journalists earlier?
- What's the true level of default ? - not much, but the banks can't get rollover loans at a low enough price to cover loss
- What's the true tax paid by the banks ? - There was a good ethics Radio 4 prog on the extent. Basically the whole business was cheating ! it gave an example of Barclays was packaging up bad loans and then selling on, Buyers weren't worried the loans had AAA rating yet in one month Barclays downgraded them to junk ..so they are being sued by this French bank.

- I wonder if any short sellers failed to sell back ?

- I lost quite a bit of money, but what can you do ? It's like when you can see other people are playing cards and making money... then it's logical to join the game.

- Markets go up and down, but you never expect the value to go to zero and your money disappear. Especially since the expert said the banks home banking model is good and will continue to make them money.

- Nov 2008 - The UK government has reduced interest rates to 2% to stimulate more borrowing and help the economy recover. Yes more people will spend more money they don't have, but ..
- 1. the banks won't make money at such low rates .. so won't be able to counter last years losses.
- 2. The banks won't have any money to lend anyway as 1. it's not worth puttiing your money in the bank ... I suppose normally people would switch to stocks, or property, but these days perhaps they'll go for gold (ha ha it will fall sometime) or invest in other countries. 2.The banks will be afraid to lend in previous volumes ie before they lent $10 for every $1 in deposits.

- COOPsFinancial Services Isn't it unethical to send out a questionaire on ethical policy which is completely loaded ?
- Their Survey

- 1. Lecture - Securitisation for your security - in Cambridge
- I think she was lost in her own jargon
- A principle of argument is to define your terms - She didn't do this.
- The interest wasn't explained until someone asked : security the US invaded Iraq to increase security of US - result is increased insecurity in Iraq.- more pc454t

- 2. Sat- 18 - Anarchist Bookfair - - disappointing; as usual the anarchists were disorganised though the cabaret was good.

- 3. Why intuition really works - BRILLIANT : Gerd Gigerenzer - Lecture about Gut Feeling and Intuition - was revolutionary - I was amazed what this guy has come up is absolutely revolutionary ...and it's not Mickey Mouse it’s the top selling science book in Germany and in the UK Science bodies have nominated it for awards. -

My Summary- intuition is better than logic cos it is actually logic, but it often seems appears out of thin air so we don't understand what the background logic is. see more pc454t

- 4. Jon Rosen@ skeptics - nice bloke, bit wet

- 5. Tuesday - Lecture on Conspiracy Theories @ Goldsmiths parapsychology research lectures - nothing amazing.. Monbiot says "Conspiracy Theories let you of the hook giving you the excuse to do nothing" - this makes sense, whereas Monbiot doesn't normally pc455t

- 4. Geologist Duncan Wingham with some Climate realism Basically pooh poohing he spoke on how outsiders don't understand complex science so make stupid assumtions. Explained like how water can be liquid at -40C etc

- 5. Lecture by Jack Straw Minister of Justice : Punishment and Reform @ the Royal Society pc456t - Jack had to do his His Daily Mail speech "more prisons !" - Look 150 years ago John Howard said punishment doesn't work, you need to get people on board so they don't even think of committing crime. Modern scientists say humans don't really respond to punishment, they respond to reward.

- The Fire of London led to the starting of the insurance instustry and therefore London becoming a strong centre for the finance business.

- 6. Inflammation Problems cos we don't have old Bacteria and Parasites - Inflammation Problems cos we don't have old Bacteria and Parasites BRILLIANT IDEAS.. more pc456t

- 7. Paranoia: The 21st Century Fear @Darwin Centre .."In a new book, Paranoia: The 21st Century Fear, Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman explore the causes of our fears, identifying the psychological, social, and cultural factors that seem to be skewing the way we think and feel about the world around us." They are wrong they are just bigging up paranoia to sell books pc456t

- 8. can't study humans without studying history around them - I disagreed with Roger Smith from his 2007 Book Being Human (Philosophy) cos he said Science is dependent on cultural context, but I argue there is pure truth in science. pc457t

- 9. Lecture : Archaeology and the Bible - A Broken Link ? pc457t boring for me cos full of people who want to prove the bible.

- 10. -the Tribes of Arunchal Pradesh @ SOAS pc457t - He seemed to say you can't save indigenous culture

- good book about fallacy in arguments The Duck That Won the lottery Julian Baggini