Mega Thread The Random Thoughts Thread Part 1

[spookism]

I think I was the winner yesterday.

But alcohol is definitely winning today. When oh when will I learn not to fly with a hangover...

It is the absolute worst

 

[MP_]

I think I was the winner yesterday.

But alcohol is definitely winning today. When oh when will I learn not to fly with a hangover...

you're flying a plane with a hangover....don't drink and fly

 

[Powerstufff]

Here's one for a Sunday. How are years dated in other countries/cultures?
In Australia we hardly notice the convention of dating things by years calculated after the death of Christ. And if we are sending a document to someone in a mostly non-Christian culture many of us would scarcely think that putting 2012 was problematic.
But that's pretty meaningless in most of the world. A Muslim in Saudi Arabia must have some other way of dating contracts etc, probably religiously based again. And if sending them to a Hindu in India would have to consider what dating system they use. Any ideas? I tried looking up international dating on Google and only attracted dodgy emails from potential Russian brides.

 

[MP_]

Here's one for a Sunday. How are years dated in other countries/cultures?
In Australia we hardly notice the convention of dating things by years calculated after the death of Christ. And if we are sending a document to someone in a mostly non-Christian culture many of us would scarcely think that putting 2012 was problematic.
But that's pretty meaningless in most of the world. A Muslim in Saudi Arabia must have some other way of dating contracts etc, probably religiously based again. And if sending them to a Hindu in India would have to consider what dating system they use. Any ideas? I tried looking up international dating on Google and only attracted dogy emails from potential Russian brides.

out of curiosity how did you come to be thinking of this on a sunday when all i'm thinking about is how am i going to lose the 3 kilos i put on yesterday due to overeating and alcohol

 

[Powerstufff]

out of curiosity how did you come to be thinking of this on a sunday....

I thought about it yonks ago but it popped back into my head yesterday when I saw the 'Changing weight of the Earth over time' question.

 

[MP_]

I thought about it yonks ago but it popped back into my head yesterday when I saw the 'Changing weight of the Earth over time' question.

well now you have me curious over how others date things

 

[BornPort]

Here's one for a Sunday. How are years dated in other countries/cultures?
In Australia we hardly notice the convention of dating things by years calculated after the death of Christ. And if we are sending a document to someone in a mostly non-Christian culture many of us would scarcely think that putting 2012 was problematic.
But that's pretty meaningless in most of the world. A Muslim in Saudi Arabia must have some other way of dating contracts etc, probably religiously based again. And if sending them to a Hindu in India would have to consider what dating system they use. Any ideas? I tried looking up international dating on Google and only attracted dodgy emails from potential Russian brides.

I would have thought India would be on the same calendar as us because they were under British rule for all those years, but Wikipedia says they use their own national calendar along side the Gregorian one.

I believe China do something similar, however I think their calendar is more about tradition, with the Gregorian calendar being used for business and everyday life(I think that goes for a huge portion of Asia). Also my understanding is that the Gregorian calendar is the standard for international trade.

 

[Powerstufff]

....my understanding is that the Gregorian calendar is the standard for international trade.

Logically that would seem right, but it's amazing it has stood up considering it is religiously based. Hard to imagine Al Queda ordering Semtex but dating the documents according to the death of Christ because "That's how it's done".

 

[BornPort]

Logically that would seem right, but it's amazing it has stood up considering it is religiously based. Hard to imagine Al Queda ordering Semtex but dating the documents according to the death of Christ because "That's how it's done".

Hmm I guess, but after WW2 the USA basically had free reign to impose what ever standards and institutions it wanted on to world trade.

 

[Port85]

Re-draft Willits?

 

[Powerstufff]

....after WW2 the USA basically had free reign to impose what ever standards and institutions it wanted on to world trade.

Not really connected to this issue. Any conventions for dating in documents existed long before WW2.
And as for the US imposing standards and institutions on world trade it's true the World Bank, World Trade Organisation, and the UN were established post WW2 and headquartered in the US. But they aren't arms of the US government.

 

[tribey]

North need to bring back the candy stripes.

 

[El_Scorcho]

North need to bring back the candy stripes.

Couldn't agree more.

Even if just as an away strip or something.

 

[BornPort]

Not really connected to this issue. Any conventions for dating in documents existed long before WW2.
And as for the US imposing standards and institutions on world trade it's true the World Bank, World Trade Organisation, and the UN were established post WW2 and headquartered in the US. But they aren't arms of the US government.

The WTO and world bank may not be "arms of the US government", but these institutions were created by the Allied nations to rebuild the world economy after WW2 and I can tell you that the US(and to a lesser extent Europe) was/is the centre of these institutions and their policies. Can you tell me how many Presidents of the world bank have not been American citizens? Who nominates these people? The answers are None and The US president. I'm just telling you why so many countries use the Christian calendar, even some countries which are mostly populated with Muslims (Turkey and Indonesia use the Gregorian calendar as their official nation calendar.)

 

[Powerstufff]

The WTO and world bank may not be "arms of the US government", but these institutions were created by the Allied nations to rebuild the world economy after WW2 and I can tell you that the US (and to a lesser extent Europe) was/is the centre of these institutions and their policies. ...

Yeah, no problem with that.

....Can you tell me how many Presidents of the world bank have not been American citizens? Who nominates these people? The answers are None and The US president. ...

I'm surprised if the first part is true even if they were the predominant economy post WW2. I struggle to believe the second part, but I'm open to an informative link so long as it's not a conspiracy site.

....even some countries which are mostly populated with Muslims (Turkey and Indonesia use the Gregorian calendar as their official nation calendar.)

That's the sort of info I was after, thanks.

 

[BornPort]

I'm surprised if the first part is true even if they were the predominant economy post WW2. I struggle to believe the second part, but I'm open to an informative link so long as it's not a conspiracy site.

Here is the wikipedia link for it. (although wikipedia isn't always the most reputable source this article is fairly well referenced and most of the links go back to the World Bank's own website)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank#Leadership

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanad...professor-slams-obamas-world-bank-nomination/ -> here's a Forbes article discussing the current President's nomination.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/16/world-bank-president-jim-yong-kim -> This Guardian article points out that US, Europe, Japan and Canada have a majority vote amongst the directors. It's not really a conspiracy it's just the way it is.

The presidency has gone to a US candidate since the organisation was founded at the Bretton Woods conference at the close of the second world war. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), its sister organisation, has always been run by a European.

 

[Stromageddon]

So, Sydney win AFL and Melbourne win NRL.

 

[BornPort]

I wonder how the TV ratings will tack up between the two finals. I think the AFL GF averaged 4+ million viewers.

 

[Doctor Feel]

I wonder how the TV ratings will tack up between the two finals. I think the AFL GF averaged 4+ million viewers.

Not counting BBQs of 20+ people.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I wonder if Sydney just screwed up GWS' chance of picking up fans like 97/98 premierships did Port.

Yep been thinking that for a week. And a bit like we awoke the crows from their slumber, the GWS whilst not beating Sydney on the park woke up the swans some what.

 

[Powerstufff]

I wonder how the TV ratings will tack up between the two finals. I think the AFL GF averaged 4+ million viewers.

Crikey reported on that through the finals and I think free to air figures in all the qualifying finals was so close to equal it didn't matter. The distinction was the AFL is carried on Foxtel and that boosted the AFL viewing figures by about 20%. I'll post the analysis of the GFs when it comes up tomorrow.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I wonder how the TV ratings will tack up between the two finals. I think the AFL GF averaged 4+ million viewers.

The AFL 5 capital city metro record is the 1996 GF at 3.5mil. This is avearge audience not peak, and doesn't include regionals.

Since Oz Tam became the major ratings agency in 2003 the biggest ratings GF was 3.386mil in 2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Grand_Final#Australian_metropolitan_television_viewers

But according to a story on Port's website yesterday may have beaten that.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6038/newsid/148881/default.aspx

MORE than five million people across Australia were watching when Nick Malceski helped seal the Sydney Swans’ premiership over Hawthorn at the MCG.

The Seven Network's exclusive live telecast peaked at 5.084 million as the siren neared, with an average national audience of 4.053 million over the course of the game.

Seven said at least six million Australians tuned in for at least some part of the game, that's more than a quarter of the nation's population.

In Sydney, the grip of NRL Grand Final preparations did nothing to prevent attention turning to the rival code of AFL.

Seven's match broadcast in the New South Wales premier's home town peaked at 795,000.

The game was most watched in Melbourne, with a peak audience of 1.574 million, averaging out at about 1.3 million viewers.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6038/newsid/148881/default.aspx

 

[Kickpuncher]

I'm devastated.

I really hate grand final losses I'd just rather not be in it than to lose the big one.

 

[Powerstufff]

I'm devastated.

I really hate grand final losses I'd just rather not be in it than to lose the big one.

You probably need to point out you also follow the Bulldogs in the NRL (as seen in your 'other teams' list). I understand your feelings, especially after 2007. But to state the obvious the Bulldogs attack was poor today, albeit against an impressive Storm defence.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

As a neutral that refereeing was about as bad as it gets. The Bulldogs were penalised for any indiscretion and they let the ones committed by the Storm slide.

That bloke that bit Billy Slater is in some strife.