Eddie's first-grade class was having a game of Name That Animal.
The teacher held up a picture of a cat and asked, "What animal is this?"
"A cat!" said Suzy.
"Good job! Now, what's this animal?"
"A dog!" said Ricky.
"Good! Now what animal is this?" she asked, holding up a picture of a deer.
The class fell silent. After a couple of minutes, the teacher said, "It's what your mom calls your dad."
"A horny bastard!" called out Eddie.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Buildings go up, economies head down.... "Skyscraper Curse"
There's an uncanny correlation between attempts to construct the world's tallest building and financial crises. Be it New York in 1930, Chicago in 1974, Kuala Lumpur in 1997, China in 2008 or the biblical Tower of Babel long before that, efforts to erect mankind's next architectural monstrosity have proved a reliable indicator of economic meltdowns.
In the late 1920s, the completion of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings coincided with the Great Depression. The 1970s saw the erection of the 1,368-foot World Trade Center and Chicago's 1,450-foot Sears Tower amid stagflation, a fiscal crisis in New York and the breakdown of the Bretton Woods monetary system. The completion of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers in 1997 coincided with the collapse of Asia's economies. Year 2008 saw the collapse of the world's financial markets with the completion of Shanghai World Financial Center, China.
What's the connection between the skyscraper's and the crises? Over-Investment, speculation.
The desire to erect the tallest building seems to have much to do with sudden capital inflows that pump up credit creation and confidence. It's often periods of over-investment and financial speculation, fueled by excessive monetary expansion, that drive developers and politicians to architectural one-upmanship.
What all this means for economies and markets is highly debatable. Still, history shows skyscrapers may provide more information than meets the eye. Building trends may just prove to be one of the very few economic barometers with real foundation.
Note: Excerpts as taken from http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2120898/Buildings-go-up-economies-head.html
In the late 1920s, the completion of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings coincided with the Great Depression. The 1970s saw the erection of the 1,368-foot World Trade Center and Chicago's 1,450-foot Sears Tower amid stagflation, a fiscal crisis in New York and the breakdown of the Bretton Woods monetary system. The completion of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers in 1997 coincided with the collapse of Asia's economies. Year 2008 saw the collapse of the world's financial markets with the completion of Shanghai World Financial Center, China.
What's the connection between the skyscraper's and the crises? Over-Investment, speculation.
The desire to erect the tallest building seems to have much to do with sudden capital inflows that pump up credit creation and confidence. It's often periods of over-investment and financial speculation, fueled by excessive monetary expansion, that drive developers and politicians to architectural one-upmanship.
What all this means for economies and markets is highly debatable. Still, history shows skyscrapers may provide more information than meets the eye. Building trends may just prove to be one of the very few economic barometers with real foundation.
Note: Excerpts as taken from http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2120898/Buildings-go-up-economies-head.html
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Newly married couple in hotel
After their wedding reception a newly married couple went to their hotel and asked for the honeymoon suite.
"Do you have reservations?" the desk clerk asked.
"Only one," the groom replied. "She's not into anal sex,"
"Do you have reservations?" the desk clerk asked.
"Only one," the groom replied. "She's not into anal sex,"
Husband reading book and fondling his wife
A married couple is lying in bed one night.
The wife is curled up, ready to go to sleep, and the husband turns his bed lamp on to read a book.
As he's reading, he periodically reaches over to his wife and fondles her special bits. He does this a few times, but only for a very short interval before returning to read his book.
The wife gradually becomes more and more aroused and, assuming that her husband is seeking some encouragement before going further, gets up and starts stripping in front of him.
The husband is confused and asks, Why are you taking off your clothes?
His wife replies, You were rubbing me downtown. I thought it was foreplay.
The husband says, No, not at all.
His wife asks angrily, Well, what the hell were you doing then?
I was just wetting my fingers so I could turn the pages in my book.
The wife is curled up, ready to go to sleep, and the husband turns his bed lamp on to read a book.
As he's reading, he periodically reaches over to his wife and fondles her special bits. He does this a few times, but only for a very short interval before returning to read his book.
The wife gradually becomes more and more aroused and, assuming that her husband is seeking some encouragement before going further, gets up and starts stripping in front of him.
The husband is confused and asks, Why are you taking off your clothes?
His wife replies, You were rubbing me downtown. I thought it was foreplay.
The husband says, No, not at all.
His wife asks angrily, Well, what the hell were you doing then?
I was just wetting my fingers so I could turn the pages in my book.
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